Definition of "long ago"

That concertina was a wonder in its way. The handles that was on it first was wore out long ago, and he'd made new ones of braided rope yarn. And the bellows was patched in more places than a cranberry picker's overalls.

1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 8, in Mr. Pratt's Patients‎

Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field. A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that.

2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist‎, archived from the original on 11 May 2017

The answer, according to James Moore, who as minister of Canadian heritage is in charge of the campaign, is that the government simply wants the long-ago war, which few Canadians know well, to be remembered.

2012 October 7, Ian Austen, “Canada Puts Spotlight on War of 1812, With U.S. as Villain”, in New York Times‎

Back in the long ago days of the 2000 season, the New England Patriots were a 5-11 mess of a team that finished in the cellar of the AFC East. It was an inauspicious start to the tenure of head coach Bill Belichick.

2019 July 18, “B/R NFL Expert Picks for 2019 Division Winners”, in Bleacher Report‎