Seventy years is indeed a milestone to be celebrated, and certainly not just because it is a large round number. Those 70 years have been the stage for dozens and dozens of workshops, lectures, congresses, international conferences, thematic conferences, technical meetings, courses, and many more ABMS-promoted activities, including the most recent lives and webinars. On the occasion of the celebration of fifty and sixty years, two magnificent books have been edited by ABMS: the first one focused mainly on the history of the Association, the second emphasizing its countless contributions to the qualification of the geotechnical engineers who have decisively contributed to turn major engineering projects into reality, both in Brazil and abroad. The trend has certainly continued over the last decade, and the organizing committee considered that those new achievements could be better presented in the "ABMS Talks", a series of live interviews with nine former presidents, which took place in June and July, always coordinated by Alexandre Gusmão, the current president. Both books and some presidents mentioned "Solos e Rochas", the journal created by our geotechnical colleagues in COPPE-UFRJ in 1978. This scientific journal went through several different phases, in Portuguese, before reaching its current status, in which it is co-edited in English by ABMS and the Portuguese Geotechnical Society (SPG). As a matter of fact, Soils and Rocks is just one of the many joint initiatives that strengthen the links between ABMS and SPG. The seventieth anniversary of ABMS means also that Soils and Rocks is just over forty, and continuously publishing papers of recognized scientific value. This looked like the ideal occasion to commemorate Soils and Rocks as well, by publishing a special issue with invited authors whose papers would certainly bear witness to the quality of the journal. It was a difficult choice, and I must apologize for the many omissions. On the other hand, I enjoyed being editor some four years ago, but am even prouder of having somewhat influenced the choice of my two successors, both of whom are raising Soils and Rocks up to new levels of recognition and international visibility. I wish them, Soils and Rocks, and especially ABMS, many continued decades of success.