In June of 2019, the International Cell Death Society (ICDS) held its 25th anniversary meeting in New York City at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai organized by Drs. Richard A. Lockshin (St. John’s University, USA), Zahra Zakeri (Queens College, USA), and Jerry Edward Chipuk (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA). The three‐day event, entitled ‘Cell death through the ages: The ICDS 25th anniversary meeting’, hosted ninety‐one delegates including thirty‐four speakers and twenty‐two poster presentations. Additionally, the organizers gave special recognition to the twenty‐one previous ICDS Lifetime Achievement awardees—those who have significantly contributed to the field of cell death and the growth of the organization. Here, we provide a summary of the meeting and highlight trending research in the fields of cell death, autophagy, immunology, and their impact on health and disease.