Copyright @ 2011 SAGE PublicationsOver 50 years have elapsed since the first experimental observations of dynamic edge phenomena on elastic structures, yet the topic remains a diverse and vibrant source of research activity. This article provides a focused history and overview of such phenomena with a particular emphasis on structures such as strips, rods, plates and shells. Within this context, some of the recent research highlights are discussed and the contents of this special issue of Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids on dynamical edge phenomena are introduced
