footprints on the sands of time

1. A phrase from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, describing the mark that great individuals leave on history.

Example Sentences

“When Thad Cochran left the Senate, I was reminded of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who wrote, ‘Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and departing leave behind us footprints on the sands of time,’ Wicker said.

From Washington Times

I Was Here – BeyoncéIt starts, "I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time", which is such an amazing line.

From The Guardian

If she win not the laurel of the conqueror and the blood-shedder, her noble deeds may leave "footprints on the sands of time," and her good works, "such as become those that profess godliness," find record in the Book of Life.

From Project Gutenberg

Such were some of the strange and mighty animals that once roamed this continent from the valley of the Connecticut, where they literally left their footprints on the sands of time, to the Rocky Mountains, where the ancient lakes and rivers became cemeteries for the entombment of their bones.

From Project Gutenberg

They have left their "footprints on the sands of time" mainly because they were self-reliant and self-helpful.

From Project Gutenberg