Marking 25 years since the first draft announcement, leaders including Francis Collins and J. Craig Venter reflect on the landmark Human Genome Project (HGP). Collins applauds the global collaboration and public-access commitment, while Venter recounts pioneering whole-genome shotgun sequencing that accelerated genome assembly. The HGP has laid foundations for precision medicine, diagnostic advances, and sparked a genomics revolution transforming biomedical research and therapeutics.