Based on the originality and accuracy of their scientific accomplishments, six anatomists emerge preeminent among the early contributors to the knowledge of laryngology. As long as 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates theorized about laryngeal function. In the succeeding centuries, Galen, da Vinci, Vesalius, Eustachius, and Magendie described laryngeal structures and innervation, established through anatomical dissection and experiment. Modern methods of evaluating glottic function often rely on information revealed centuries ago.