While nickel has been known for centuries as a material for various uses, including the Ni-Fe expansion alloys that were developed around 1896, the history of the solid-solution-strengthened nickel based alloys begins with the development of the Ni-Cu alloy Monel (R) in 1906 Since that time many other alloys have been developed containing other elements and possessing significantly different corrosion resistance. These developments have also been aided by developments in the metallurgical processing of nickel alloys. This paper will discuss the major nickel alloy developments that have allowed and expanded the use of these alloys in the chemical processing industry.