historical present
noun Grammar.
the present tense used in narrating a past event as if happening at the time of narration.
Origin of historical present
First recorded in 1960–65
Words nearby historical present
British Dictionary definitions for historical present
historical present
noun
the present tense used to narrate past events, usually employed in English for special effect or in informal use, as in a week ago I'm walking down the street and I see this accident