Bees, together with apoid wasps, constitute the family Apoidea of Aculeata, Apocrita, Hymenoptera. Due to their importance as pollinators, the origin and evolution of bees have been a focus of research since the last century. With the worldwide discovery of new fossils and the application of new methods of phylogenetic analysis, our understanding of the early origin and evolution of bees is being constantly updated. Here, we review the history of research and the current state of knowledge on the origin, evolution, geological age, geographical distribution, and phylogeny, of bees.