Long persistent phosphors show great superiority in the applications of biomedicine, energy, environment, and new technology fields owing to the unique separating process of optical excitation and emission, and they arouse wide interests of researchers in materials, chemistry, physics, and biomaterials fields. This review introduces the history and resurrected and thriving evolution process of long persistent phosphors. In addition, this review also elaborates the important timing points, key achievements, and main problems. We believe that the long persistent phosphors will rejuvenate with their unique charm and attract the researchers interested in the luminescence phenomenon to extend the past into the future and continue to renovate.