During the past 15 yr surface science has experienced extensive and profound changes. This historical review is devoted to the development of the theme that these changes considered collectively constitute a scientific revolution in the sense described by Thomas Kuhn. The recognition of the consequences of inelastic collisions of fast electrons played a key role in initiating the modern era in surface science. The resulting explosive development of surface characterization spectroscopies is discussed and shown to have led to a fundamental alteration in our perception of a surface or interface. Whereas in the mid-1960’s an interface was regarded merely as the boundary between two bulk media, today it is seen as an independent entity: a state of matter determined by its history and exhibiting its own unique composition, structure, and electronic properties. The review concludes with a brief indication of the role of the American Vacuum Society in promoting and facilitating the development of surface science and the diffusion of its results during this formative period.