Making History

Or not. Very likely not.

Tomorrow, things that I did today, that you did today, that billions of people did today—all of that stuff will be history.

But hardly any of it will be historic, meaning “famous, momentous or important in history.”

There’s a difference, you know, even if some journalists/headline writers/click-bait artists might behave (and argue) otherwise.

Maybe I’m just becoming a grumpy old writer, but it seems like I can’t go a few hours without coming across a “makes history” headline and/or lede in our relentless 24/7 news cycle. Sports stories notoriously lean on this crutch.

That figures: with the blizzard of statistics whipped up every game, there are bound to be “firsts” and “mosts” and other extremes always afoot. Plenty are worthy of noting, but as simply that: a note — not a breathless proclamation that artificially aims to elevate its significance.

Check out this headline from Monday at MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball: “With his 40^th stolen base, Acuña makes more history”.

In this case, the story is a combination of home runs, stolen bases and runs batted in for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña hitting. Numerous other outlets got in on the act, including the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Ronald Acuña Jr. makes history as Braves win ninth straight.”

A few more recent examples:

“Apple makes history as first $3 trillion company amid tech stock surge” (Reuters)

“Novak Djokovic makes history at Wimbledon, joins Serena Williams, Federer in exclusive club” (USA Today)

“Shane Van Gisbergen makes history with first debut NASCAR win in 60 Years at Chicago” (Jalopnik.com)

“Lake Oswego’s Mia Brahe-Pedersen makes history as first high school track and field athlete to sign NIL deal with Nike” (Oregon Live)

And now, for the last, supremely ridiculous example:

“Jannik Sinner makes Wimbledon history with bold Gucci fashion choice.” (Daily Mail)

So, what are we to make of all this history-making?

Primarily, it’s a way to puff up a story’s importance. Where “becomes” is a perfectly fine verb, outlets can’t resist the sweet nectar of “makes history,” especially when it serves as a cheap clickbait device to get more eyeballs to make more revenue.

It’s enabled by electronic media having a sprawling countryside to prance about with words upon words upon still more words. By contrast, the printed page is a narrow path — only so many characters allowed. Write tight.

In closing, a confession: I wasn’t always so savvy to detecting these overblown proclamations. In fact, I was part of the “making history” problem.

My recovery began about 25 years ago, when fellow newspaper reporter George Houde called me out – respectfully, but firmly — on this front. By then a well-established newsroom vet at The Courier News in Elgin, George couldn’t help but notice how I had laid it on thick with my reporting on the launch of a teen juice bar.

The business was the first of its kind to open in the community and I crafted some sort of “first in history” silliness.

“Sometimes,” George pointed out, “a juice bar opening is just a juice bar opening.”

Circa 1998, a trio of history-recording (if not history-making) Courier-News reporters (L-R): George Houde, me & Dave Gathman.