Modern medicine is divided into three categories, namely preventive, curative and palliative. Palliative medicine and palliative care focus on people suffering from progressive incurable diseases with an expected fatal outcome, as well as their family members. It is conducted by an interdisciplinary palliative team at all levels of health care. Palliative care is a broader term than palliative medicine, as it encompasses other activities carried out by social welfare institutions as well as civil society organizations, religious institutions and other stakeholders in the community. Although elements of the palliative approach have been encountered throughout history since the beginning of medical treatment, in the last fifty years we have witnessed the rapid development of palliative medicine as a distinct specialization and subspecialisation in many countries around the world. Palliative care is a civilizational step forward and a true example of person-centered medicine. Given the aging population and the growing technological capabilities of modern medicine, we expect a large increase in the need for palliative care which requires the active contribution of all participants involved in creating and implementing social and health policies, both locally, nationally and internationally. This paper presents the historical development and current state of palliative medicine in the world with special emphasis on the situation in Croatia.