When Welsh historians reflect on Euro 2016 they might agree this was a moment that changed a nation.
Having waited 58 years to play at a major tournament, Wales defied the odds to surpass the achievement of the 1958 side who reached the quarter-final of the World Cup.
Chris Coleman's squad left France as semi-finalists; they returned to Wales as heroes.
How Gareth Bale and company managed to exceed expectations might have been a surprise, but it was not down to good fortune.
It was the product of years of hard work in developing players who were allowed to taste international football from an early age and had gained the necessary experience by the time Euro 2016 came around.
These players have grown up together and developed strong friendships in good times and bad.
Dark days have been known on the field and off it, with the death of their former manager Gary Speed in 2011 casting a shadow over football.
Defender Chris Gunter called the bond between the squad "unbreakable" - he might have used the same term for the connection between players and supporters.
Club rivalries belong to the distant past. This is a new Wales based on the motto 'TogetherStronger'.
Fan zones sprouted up all over Wales as the team progressed and tournament frenzy took hold.
In France, the 'Red Wall' - the name given to the fans by a grateful squad that once played before a few thousand - grew ever bigger with around 30,000 making the trip across the English Channel to watch history unfold.
Whereas many were simply relieved Wales had finally ended their qualifying hoodoo, there was a steely resolve inside the camp that they were there not to make up the numbers.
Coleman demonstrated sound tactical awareness and constantly talked his side up, while paying the opposition the utmost respect.
Real Madrid forward Bale, assuming leadership responsibilities when regularly turning up for media duty, spoke of this being "our time" and responded by becoming the first player since Euro 2004 to score in all three group games.
The vibe was that Wales were on the right path and a hard-fought 2-1 opening victory over Slovakia set the tone.
Even the painful last-minute defeat to England was used as a positive, Wales bouncing back to produce one of the country's greatest performances to thrash Russia 3-0 and top the group.
There was a scrappy 1-0 win over Northern Ireland at the last-16 stage before Belgium, ranked second in the world, were dismantled 3-1 in the quarter-final.
Portugal proved a game too far in the semi-final but the national anthem, 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau', still rang out in the second half as the fans celebrated a remarkable journey.
So what now for Wales?
Coleman insists the hunger in his squad is still present with the start of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign only two months away.
Of the side which started against Portugal only skipper Ashley Williams and James Collins are the wrong side of 30, with Wales' average age of 27 making them the seventh youngest of the 24 teams at Euro 2016.
Stand-out acts Bale and Aaron Ramsey, one of the players of the tournament and whose absence was sorely felt against Portugal, are at a point where they are moving towards the peak of their powers.
But the legacy of Wales' success at Euro 2016 will be felt for generations to come.
The Football Association of Wales will invest the millions of pounds received for reaching the last four into developing the grass roots of the game.
They will be helped by children dreaming of being the next Bale or Ramsey, but the ambition is to produce more players, create better facilities and educate greater coaches.
In a nation where rugby union has traditionally set the sporting agenda, the landscape may never quite be the same again.
Source: PA
