Cullen sign and Grey Turner sign, named after Thomas Stephen Cullen, MB, and George Grey Turner, MBBS, respectively, are signs of abdominal wall hemorrhage and are generally associated with acute pancreatitis. However, the research from which these signs arose was documented long before Cullen and Grey Turner made their contributions. The present article examines the history, pathologic mechanisms, and clinical application of these signs in relation to acute pancreatitis and ectopic pregnancy.