Copy command from history to bash prompt
you need to take a look at the bash fc
command.
If you want to edit before rexecuting a history line just do like this
fc 123
where 123
is the history line number you see typing the command history
.
It will open your favorite editor and allow you to modifiy the line then quit and save and it will run.
You can also do it a range of command like this:
fc 123 135
To work on command history from 123 to 135.
Edit 1:
if you need to run without edit consider watch the post Re-execute fc command from history
If you want to reexecute a command from your history, you can use ^r (ctrl + r) in your terminal. It's a reverse search which permits to retrieve a command and edit it before you enter it. I don't know if it works with other shell than bash. Though it's like one of the most useful thing I ever seen.
From the bash documentation :
reverse-search-history (C-r)
Search backward starting at the current line and moving ‘up’ through the history as necessary. This is an incremental search.
Here is the manual.