Sure they do, not on their own but they are often the ones who set in motion things which are later described in terms of 'making history'. When an orchestra plays a symphony it is often the conductor who receives the praise even though he is not the one actually playing the instruments. Without them he'd be standing there waving his baton without any results. Without the conductor the musicians would certainly be able to produce music but it is unlikely they'd be making history as an orchestra. The conductor gets the praise because he's the one who brings the musicians together to 'make history'. Battles aren't won single-handedly by generals but they are lost without them. Coaches do not win sports competitions but teams without good coaching are unlikely to win. This does not diminish the role of the individual musician, soldier or athlete but it does show that it often takes someone to gather these individuals into a coherent group and point them at a target to 'make history'.