Since the discovery of the structure of DNA in the 1950s and the invention of DNA sequencing in the 1970s, a huge number of scientific advances driven by breakthroughs made using sequencing technologies have been made. More recently, the advent and advances in second and third generation sequencing technologies have enabled new insights into genomic architecture and variation, and the emerging phenotype. In this chapter, I introduce a brief history of DNA sequencing, the emergence of third generation sequencing, Pac-Bio sequencing, Oxford Nanopore Technology, genome assembly challenges and approaches, and examples of notable genome assembly successes including from several bacterial species. I conclude with a synopsis of the current and upcoming topics driving the sequencing and genome assembly revolution.