The proximity, well-determined distance, and low foreground obscuration of the Magellanic Clouds makes them an ideal target for the study of galactic X-ray source populations. Steady progress since the initial detection of X-rays from the LMC in 1968 culminated in the recent Einstein Observatory surveys from which over three dozen supernova remnants and ~10 compact binaries have been identified. In this review, we record the 15-year history of Magellanic Cloud X-ray research, summarize our current knowledge, and offer a brief prospectus of what the next 15 years may hold.