It began as a scientific review publication published by Imperial Chemical Industries in 1942, and since has evolved into a scholarly journal covering the fields of history and philosophy of science, technology, and medicine.

It began as a scientific review journal published by the public relations department of Imperial Chemical Industries, with support from the British government.

Through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, the journal was distributed to scientists and academic libraries around Europe in an effort to promote scientific internationalism.

[1] ICI continued to run the journal as its house technical publication until January 1977, when it became the property of Pergamon Press, a commercial publisher.

In the 1990s, Endeavour moved away from publishing scientific reviews and began to focus on the history of science.