finest hour

plural finest hours

1. idiomaticA point in time or a relatively brief period of time when an especially distinguished, admirable, or effective set of actions is performed.

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

   1979 August 2, Peter Calamai, “Analysis: It's brave words and bad vibrations”, in Edmonton Journal, Canada, retrieved 28 Aug 2013, page D20

   3 more examples

   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.’"

   1940 June 18, “Churchill Says Hope Not Dead”, in San Jose Evening News, retrieved 28 Aug 2013, page 1

   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.

   2010 October 13, Tim Padgett, “Chile Celebrates As Miners Emerge from Underground”, in Time, retrieved 28 Aug 2013

   Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday morning, the UK’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, criticised “irresponsible speculation” and said it had not been “the BBC’s finest hour”.

   2023 October 19, Daniel Boffey, quoting Tom Tugendhat, “Israel accuses BBC of ‘modern blood libel’ over reporting of hospital strike”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Synonyms: day in the sun, heyday