Introduction to the B[e] Phenomenon

In this contribution we introduce the topic of this workshop with a brief history of studies of objects with the B[e] phenomenon, including its discovery and evolution of our understanding of the phenomenon. We will also review the most prominent results on selected objects published prior to the previous B[e] star conference in 2005. These include the discovery of B[e] supergiants in the Magellanic Clouds, detection of maser and laser lines in the spectrum of MWC 349A, studies of η Carinae, and a few more. This talk is planned to set up the stage for discussion of more recent results that will be presented at the conference.