Ulysses’ launch in October of 1990 was at the maximum of solar activity cycle 22. The first passages through the polar regions of the heliosphere came in 1994 and 1995, very near the minimum of activity between cycles 22 and 23. The second orbit then took Ulysses through the polar regions in 2000 and 2001, at the maximum of solar activity for cycle 23, and its third orbit will again sample the polar regions at near-minimum conditions (Figure 7.1). Ulysses has thus observed heliospheric conditions through a complete solar cycle, solar cycle 23. How typical was cycle 23? In this chapter we will examine the characteristics of this cycle, its noteworthy events, and compare it with other cycles.