making history
Doing something unprecedented
Making history means doing something significant enough to be remembered, something that changes the course of events or sets a new precedent.
The phrase often appears in sports, politics, and social movements: She made history as the first woman to summit K2 solo.
It can be used earnestly or with mild irony for lesser achievements: We're making history here, people—the first office to finish the budget on time.
Notable point of reference
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- achievementAccomplished goal or deed
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- benchmarkStandard for comparison
hallmark · pivotal · breakthrough · culmination · capstone · highpoint · zenith · pinnacle
First to explore territory
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- unprecedentedNever having occurred before
game-changing · record-breaking · pathbreaking · novel · original · uncharted · bold · daring
Permanently fixed in memory
- legendaryFamous beyond ordinary measure
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- epicImpressively grand in scope
- momentousOf great significance
remarkable · noteworthy · celebrated · famous · indelible · etched · lasting · vivid
To make different
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- upheavalViolent disturbance of order
- shiftMovement or work period
evolution · metamorphosis · overhaul · reinvention · sea-change · transition · modernization · progress
Inherited cultural legacy
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
posterity · descendants · bequest · commemoration · preservation · remembrance · monument · tribute
landmark
Notable point of reference
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- achievementAccomplished goal or deed
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
benchmark · hallmark · pivotal · breakthrough · culmination · capstone · highpoint · zenith · pinnacle · apex
pioneering
First to explore territory
- trailblazingBeing the first through
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- breakthroughSudden important advance
unprecedented · game-changing · record-breaking · pathbreaking · novel · original · uncharted · bold · daring · audacious
unforgettable
Permanently fixed in memory
- legendaryFamous beyond ordinary measure
- iconicWidely recognized, enduring
- epicImpressively grand in scope
momentous · remarkable · noteworthy · celebrated · famous · indelible · etched · lasting · vivid · storied
change
To make different
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- upheavalViolent disturbance of order
shift · evolution · metamorphosis · overhaul · reinvention · sea-change · transition · modernization · progress · restructuring
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- lineageDescent from progenitors
dynasty · posterity · descendants · bequest · commemoration · preservation · remembrance · monument · tribute · enduring
- pioneeringexploration, discovery, invention, founding, breakthrough
making historyroutine
Regular sequence of actions
mundane · insignificant · inconsequential · ordinary · unremarkable
making historyreinventing the wheel
Recreating what already exists
derivative · unoriginal · copying · imitating · status quo
makes, maker, makers, making, remake, remaking, unmake, history, historic