Chalcones comprise of a three carbon enone system. These are the products of condensation between aromatic aldehydes and acetophenones in the presence of a strong base. They represent a main skeletal in the plenty of organically dynamic molecules including synthesized and natural products. Synthesized chalcones or their disengagement from normal sources are being explored worldwide for the improvement of progressively powerful and proficient medications for the treatment of a few loathsome sicknesses, for example, malignant growth, diabetes, HIV, tuberculosis and so on. In this review, we will be focusing on the synthetic methods including gree methods for synthesis of chalcones and an overview of anticancer and anti-HIV activities of chalcones.