finest hour

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finest hour (plural finest hours)

1. (idiomatic) A point in time or a relatively brief period of time when an especially distinguished, admirable, or effective set of actions is performed.
   • 1940 June 18, "Churchill Says Hope Not Dead," San Jose Evening News, p. 1 (retrieved 28 August 2013):

     Winston Churchill proclaimed today to his Parliament and people the beginning of "the battle for Britain". . . . "Let us brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say: ‘This was their finest hour.’"

   • 1979 August 2, Peter Calamai, "Analysis: It's brave words and bad vibrations," Edmonton Journal (Canada), p. D20 (retrieved 28 August 2013):

     Commonwealth countries were called upon to rise to their finest hour against the double crises of Rhodesia and global poverty.

   • 2010 Oct. 13, Tim Padgett, "Chile Celebrates As Miners Emerge from Underground," Time (retrieved 28 August 2013):

     The U.S. exulted 40 years ago when it brought its three Apollo 13 astronauts back safely from a disaster in space. Early Wednesday morning, Chile . . . can celebrate its own finest hour as it rescues its 33 miners from the abyss.

• day in the sun, heyday

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