Man walked on the moon for the first time the year Rochdale last earned promotion, and Hill is in no doubt that his team face a giant leap up next season.
But the 5,000 fans, who celebrated on the Spotland pitch after Chris O'Grady's 21st goal of the season had edged Rochdale over the line, will just be happy to have finally escaped English football's basement division.
And Hill - known affectionately as the 'Baldy Mourinho' - knows just how special that achievement is.
"I will probably only realise what this means to me when my career is over," said the Dale boss. "From an achievement point of view, this is what we set out to achieve three and a half years ago.
"We've done everything now - we've been to Wembley, been in the play-offs and now we've been promoted.
"The players have been brave all season because at the start of the campaign nobody was giving us a chance.
"Our remit was to finish in the top 10. The fans didn't turn up in the early part of the season but they have turned up in numbers recently. It was an exceptional day with the players showing a lot of bravery and the supporters a lot of patience. We want to take that type of support into next season.
"I'm really looking forward to the rest of my career. The life expectancy of a Football League manager is 1.49 years. I've been here three and a half years, so I'll probably be recycled somewhere.
"I am looking forward to the challenge of playing football at a higher level, but let's not be stupid about it - you have got to have good resources to succeed in the league above. We're in there now and it has to be a case of slowly, slowly, catchy monkey.
"When you look at Peter Taylor, he took Wycombe up and then got sacked within 10 games."
Victory over Northampton sets up a mouth-watering title decider against leaders Notts County at Meadow Lane on Tuesday, and Hill hasn't given up hope of capping a memorable season with a trophy.
"Notts County started the season as everybody's favourites, not just to win the league but to do it with a cakewalk," he added.
"It's credit to us that we still have a chance of winning the title and we will go there and give it our best shot.
"If we don't catch Notts County, I'm sure the taxman will."
ROCHDALE: Fielding 7, Wiseman 6, Kennedy 7, Stanton 8 (McArdle 72, 7), Dawson 7, Thompson 7, Jones 7, Taylor 6, Higginbotham 6 (Toner 82), O'Grady 7, Dagnall 7.
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Rochdale AFC have been exceptional all season, especially when you consider the grossly unfair advantage that Notts County have had. Right from the opening day of the season, Notts County broke the rules, until the day their current Chairman (Mr.Trew) took over the club, for the princely sum of £1, only a few weeks ago.
When you consider that Dale have achieved their promotion in the face of overwhelming odds, and by playing by the rules, it makes all the sweeter.........
Rochdale AFC, paying their bills since 1907. League One here we come.....
Well done Rochdale!
Up the dale down the ale. Well done Rochdale. I hope you get the 3,500 you need to break even every week !!!
Congratulations again, the only bad thing about Div.1 ( if you hadnt noticed ) is going to be the travel. There will only be a couple of derby games with Oldham and possibly Bury if they go up and Sheffield coming down. The next closest is Walsall, the rest are southern teams plus Notts Co. and Carlisle up north. Can you say TRAVEL NIGHTMARE!!!!
There have been alot of comments on the blogs about Keith Hills comments about the taxman and Notts County. If Peter Kay had said the same thing, even the Notts fans would be laughing. Keith Hill has obviously developed a close knit team culture, and I am sure his sense of humour has contributed to that. A sense of humour that a lot of the Notts County fans seem to be lacking. Congratulations on the success. I was there in 1969, could not make it this time.
Keith Garlick, Rangiora, New Zealand