When we talk about events that happened long ago, it's often useful to describe them as happening "in a distant time." But there are plenty of other ways to express this idea. One option is to say that something happened "ages ago," which suggests a great deal of time has passed. Alternatively, you might say that it happened "long, long ago," evoking a sense of fairy tales and mythology. Another option is to describe something as happening "eons ago," which is a way of emphasizing just how long ago it was. Finally, you could simply say that it happened "many years ago," which is a straightforward and clear way to express the idea.