Historical clue formulations

• Words before time or story — 2024-04-18
• "It's the ___ the world ..." — 2013-02-25
• Words before story or debate — 2012-01-21
• At the ___ one's rope — 2002-03-12
• "___ Days" (Schwarzenegger film) — 2001-09-25
• ___ the line — 2001-07-10
• ___ an era — 2001-07-08
• ___the line — 1996-05-19