the past; past events
A somewhat literary or formal word for past events or bygone days, often used in reflective or written contexts.
往事を思い起こすと、胸が熱くなる。
When I recall the past, my heart swells with emotion.
彼は往事の思い出を語り始めた。
He began to talk about memories of bygone days.
past events fading into distant memory
past events fading into distant memory
From Middle Chinese 往事 (mjwangX dzriH, 'past affairs'). The kanji 往 means 'go, past' and 事 means 'matter, affair'.