Calibration of numerical ages to the geological time scale is a long scientific pursuit that requires the integration of multiple data sets. A case study of the Albian/Cenomanian stage boundary, also the Lower/Upper Cretaceous series boundary, illustrates the calibration process. The numerical age of this boundary has shifted from 96 Ma to 99 Ma over a time span of nearly fifty years. Re-calibration resulted first from improvements in radiometric dating, and later from inferences about ammonite phylogeny, and most recently from radiometric dates of newly discovered volcanic beds interbedded with diagnostic guide fossils. However, the calibration process continues with study of cosmopolitan dinoflagellates.