espanolLa evolucion historica para el conocimiento del dolor ha tenido momentos cruciales en los que el curso evolutivo se modifico. Esos momentos son situaciones relevantes que cambiaron los conceptos previamente aceptados y abrieron nuevos horizontes de investigacion, de entendimiento y de tratamiento. Cuando Melzack y Wall desarrollaron la Teoria de la Compuerta lograron aclarar fenomenos basicos del entendimiento del dolor pero igualmente abrieron multiples topicos de futuras investigaciones basicas y clinicas. Dieron sustento, con su teoria, a multiples tratamientos del dolor que son la base de procedimientos que en la actualidad realizamos. Los aspectos psicologicos, el componente clinico y la base estructural anatomofisiologica fueron poco a poco conformando una de las teorias mas completas de la ciencia medica y por supuesto principio basico para el mejor tratamiento del dolor. Son 50 anos que se cumplen de la publicacion de aquel articulo en la revista Science (Pain Mechanism: a new theory. A gate control system modulates sensory input from the skin before it evoques pain perception and response. Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall. Science. 19 november 1965, volumen 150, number 3699), el cual ha sido reconocido hasta la actualidad como la referencia bibliografica mas utilizada en la ciencia medica en los ultimos 50 anos. Este articulo se escribio en un contexto cientifico particular y a la luz de dos vidas diferentes que ilustran un proceso ejemplar de desarrollo de la ciencia. El analisis es no solo cientifico sino humano de lo que ha sido este articulo para el entendimiento de las ciencias del dolor. EnglishThe quest to acquire knowledge and understanding of pain has had crucial moments in which the evolution of the process has been dramatically changed. These moments have been revelations that have opened the path to rethinking previously accepted knowledge and created new horizons of research, understanding and treatment. When Melzack and Wall first described what would come to be known as the Gate Control theory they were able not only to clarify basic aspects of pain development but to lead the way to further basic and clinical research studies. They psychological aspects, the clinical basis and the structural anatomical and physiological components created one of the most complete theories in medical sciences and the ground for the basic management of pain. It has been fifty years since the original article was published in Science magazine (Pain Mechanism: a new theory. A gate control system modulates sensory input from the skin before it evokes pain perception and response. Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall. Science. November 19, 1965 volume 150, number 3699). It has been recognized even until today as the most cited reference in medical journals in the past 50 years. The paper was written during a very particular moment in scientific history and the context of two very different lives, which illustrates the incredible process that leads to scientific development. The analysis of what this paper has symbolized to pain science must be done not only from a purely scientific view point but from a human one as well.