In the last 50 years the oncology has experienced remarkable changes resulting in transforming malignant germ-cell testicular tumors from highly fatal to nearly uniformly cured neoplasms. This clinical landmark was justly attributed to the identification of cisplatin by Barnett Rosenberg in his experiments dating to 1965. On this 50th anniversary of this discovery, one is reminded of the following key aspects in cancer therapeutics: 1) the life-story of Barnett Rosenberg and his legacy that included organizing nearly quadrennial "platinum" meetings incorporating advances in cancer biology into evolving therapeutic strategies; 2) the search for less toxic analogs of cisplatin leading to the development of carboplatin; 3) clinical research into attenuation of cisplatin toxicities; 4) oxaliplatin and the expansion of the therapeutic spectrum of platinum compounds; and 5) the ongoing multifaceted investigations into the problem of "platinum resistance".