On Apr. 14, 2003, The International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, led in the U.S. the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the Department of Energy (DOE), announced the successful completion of the Human Genome Project more than two years ahead of schedule.

The international effort to sequence the 3 billion DNA letters in the human genome is considered by many to be one of the most ambitious scientific undertakings of all time, even compared to splitting the atom or going to the moon.