Periods of rapid societal change, including both revolutionary and reactionary shifts to transform the structures of society, occur intermittently throughout national and international histories. Even short-lived turbulent historical periods often have long-lasting impacts, shaping culture, the creation and dissolution of social structures, including government institutions, and the enactment and repeal of public policies. This issue of Public Policy and Aging Report grapples with policy concerns related to population aging, disability, and mental health in a variety of current international contexts; brief accounts of some earlier historic periods of policy transformation and structural change set the stage for the articles in this issue.