Explore the fascinating world of gravitational-wave astronomy in this comprehensive colloquium lecture. Delve into the groundbreaking observations of black hole and neutron star mergers, and discover how these cosmic collisions are revolutionizing our understanding of the Universe. Learn about the fundamentals of gravitational waves, the inner workings of detectors like LIGO and Virgo, and the significant insights gained from recent events identified by these collaborations. Examine merger rate estimates, mass distributions of compact binary systems, and the implications of multi-messenger observations. Journey through topics such as General Relativity, binary systems, the stellar graveyard, and the origin of elements. Gain insights into ongoing observing runs, future prospects for the 2020s, and participate in a Q&A session covering additional aspects like pulsar timing.