He pulled off an extraordinary feat unheard of in all history.
Tips
history
Roots in 孔颖达's commentary on 《诗经·周颂·敬之》 (Shījīng, the Book of Songs): 'a subject standing in for the Son of Heaven — rarely heard of in ages past.' Used vividly in Ming-dynasty 冯梦龙's 《警世通言》 (Jǐngshì Tōngyán, 'Stories to Caution the World').
usage
Variant: 旷古未有 (kuànggǔwèiyǒu, never existed since antiquity) is interchangeable. 旷 here means 'spanning, vast through' (time), not 'empty'.
