[History of taxonomy of Headache.]

It takes a long history for human being to understand headache disorder clearly. Fifteen years after its original edition was published, a revised International Classification of Headache Disorder has been unveiled by the International Headache Society (HIS) in 2003, thus, a clear operationalized standard for the headache taxonomy and diagnosis for headache is available. This will galvanize headache community and stimulate the development of headache research. By reviewing the history of headache taxonomy in China and western countries, historical experiences may contribute to make further advances not only in the headache research field, but also in the whole area of medical science.