  This article recounts the interaction of topology and singularity theory
(mainly singularities of complex algebraic varieties) which started in the
early part of this century and bloomed in the 1960's with the work of
Hirzebruch, Brieskorn, Milnor and others. Some of the topics are followed to
the present day. (A chapter for the book "History of Topology", ed. I. M.
James)
