JANUARY January 3 Born David Vine, sports commentator (1936). Born Fran Cotton, British rugby international player (1948). January 4 Born Floyd Patterson, US boxing champion (1935). January 6 Born Barry John, former Welsh rugby international (1945). Born Terry Venables, football manager (1944). January 9 Born Graham Fletcher, show jumper (1951). January 11 Born Bryan Robson, former England football captain (1947). January 12 Born Joe Frazier, heavyweight boxer (1944). January 13 Born Stephen Hendry, snooker player (1969). January 14 Baseball hero Joe DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe (1954). January 15 First live rugby commentary, on BBC radio by Captain Teddy Wakeham (1927). January 16 Born Cliff Thorburn, snooker player (1948). January 17 Born Muhammad Ali, US former boxing champion (1942). January 19 Born Stefan Edberg, tennis player (1966). January 20 Basketball first played, at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA (1892). January 21 First Monte Carlo car rally, won seven days later by French racer Henri Rougier (1911). Born Jack Nicklaus, golfer (1940). January 22 First broadcast of a football match took place, Highbury, London (1927). US boxer George Foreman became world heavyweight boxing champion (1973). January 25 First Winter Olympic Games, Chamonix, France (1924). January 26 Rugby Union founded in London by 20 clubs (1871). January 27 World boxing champion Mike Tyson went on trial for alleged rape (1992). FEBRUARY February 4 US sailing boat, Stars and Stripes, won the America's Cup back from Australia (1987). February 6 Aeroplane carrying Manchester United soccer team crashed on take-off, killing 7 players (1958). February 9 Born Sandy Lyle, golfer (1958). February 10 Born Greg Norman, golfer (1955). February 11 Born John Surtees, motor and motor-cycle racing champion (1934). February 14 Born Kevin Keegan, footballer (1951). February 15 Mohammad Ali lost his world heavyweight boxing title to Leon Sprinks in Las Vegas (1978). English Football League matches played on Sunday for the first time (1981). February 16 Born John McEnroe, US tennis player (1959). February 17 French skier Jean-Claude Killy won 3 gold medals at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble (1968). February 18 Born Bobby Robson, football manager (1933). February 19 Born Hana Mandlikova, Australian tennis champion (1962). February 20 Born Jimmy Greaves, TV commentator and ex-footballer (1940). February 22 Born Niki Lauda, motor-racing champion (1949). February 23 Lawn tennis, then called 'Sphairistike' was patented (1874). February 24 World land-speed record of 253.96 mph was set by Sir Malcolm Campbell (1932). Born Alain Prost, motor-racing champion (1955). February 25 The rules of cricket were formulated in the 'Star and Garter', Pall Mall (1774). February 26 First Grand National Steeplechase run at Aintree (1839). February 28 Born Barry McGuigan, boxer (1961). MARCH March 1 US heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis retired after successfully defending his title 25 times (1949). March 4 Tennis authorities voted to admit professional players to Wimbledon for the first time (1968). March 8 US heavyweight boxer Mohammad Ali defeated by Joe Frazier (1971). March 10 First Cruft's Dog Show, London (1886). March 11 US tennis player Jennifer Capriati,13, became the youngest finalist in a professional contest (1990). March 15 First 11-a-side cricket test match played between Australia and England, at Sydney (1876). March 16 Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 in the first soccer FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval (1872). March 22 English Soccer League formed (1888). March 23 Goal nets, invented by J A Brodie, used for the first time in a FA Cup Final (1891). March 25 First soccer international between Wales and Scotland, Scotland won 4-0 (1876). First gold medal of the modern Olympic Games was presented (1896). March 26 Annual rowing regatta established at Henley-on-Thames (1839). March 27 England and Scotland played their first rugby international, Scotland won (1871). March 28 Both Oxford and Cambridge boats sank in the University Boat Race (1912). March 31 Racehorse Red Rum set a record for the Grand National Steeplechase (1973). APRIL April 6 First modern Olympic Games began in Athens (1896). April 13 Luton Town player Joe Payne scored a record 10 goals in one match against Bristol Rovers (1936). Sveriano Ballesteros, Spanish golfer, became the youngest winner of the US Maters Tournament (1980). April 14 First Monaco Grand Prix held in Monte Carlo (1929). April 19 Bobby Charlton played his first international soccer match for England (1958). April 20 First Badminton Horse Trials, held at Badminton, England (1949). April 22 Robin Knox Johnston completed his solo voyage around the world, after 312 days at sea (1969). April 24 George Stevenson became the first boxer to die in a prize-ring contest, London (1741). Joshua Slocum set off to sail solo around the world; his voyage took 3 years to complete (1895). April 28 First Soccer FA Cup Final held at Wembley Stadium (1923). MAY May 1 Died Ayrton Senna, Brazilian motor-racing driver, after crashing during the Italian Grand Prix. (1994). May 2 Steve Davis won the World Snooker Championship, beating Cliff Thorburn (1983). Steve Davis won the World Snooker Championship for the 5th time, beating Terry Griffiths (1988). May 3 Born Henry Cooper, English world champion heavyweight boxer (1934). May 4 First Derby run at Epsom, won by Diomed (1780). Born John Watson, British grand prix racing champion (1946). May 6 First under 4 minute mile (3:59.4 ) run by Roger Banister, Oxford (1954). May 7 First Isle of Man TT motorcycle race (1907). May 8 Born Jack Charlton, soccer player and manager (1935). May 13 Born Joe Louis, 'The Brown Bomber', American heavyweight boxing champion (1914). May 14 1,000th and last appearance of soccer player Bobby Moore (1977). First soccer player to miss a penalty during an FA Cup Final, Liverpool's John Aldridge (1988). May 17 Born Sugar Ray Leonard, American world champion boxer, at 3 weights (1956). Nigel Mansell became the first motor racing driver to win the opening 5 races of the season (1992). May 18 Born Graham Dilley, English cricket player (1959). Motor racing driver Graham Hill won his record 5th Monaco Grand Prix (1969). May 20 Bobby Moore made his first appearance for England, against Peru in Lima (1962). Golfer Ian Woosnam fined £5,000 for attempting to evade Customs duty (1988). May 21 FIFA Soccer Federation founded in Paris (1904). Cassius Clay knocked out Henry Cooper, London (1966). May 22 Born George Best, Irish soccer player (1946). May 23 Born Anatoli Karpov, Russian world chess champion for 10 years (1951). England's Nigel Benn beat South Africa's Sugar Boy Malinga, Birmingham, England (1992). May 24 Born Adrian Moorhouse, British Olympic swimmer champion (1964). Born Eric Cantona, French soccer player (1966). May 25 American athlete Jesse Owens set 5 world records and equalled a sixth, in just 45 minutes, (1935). Muhammad Ali fought in front of just 2,434 spectators, the smallest attendance ever (1965). May 26 First 24 hour Le Mans race, won by French drivers Lagache and Leonard (1923). May 27 Born Duncan Goodhew, English Olympic swimmer (1957). Born Paul Gascoigne, soccer player (1967). May 29 Ian Botham banned from cricket for 2 months for smoking cannabis (1986). JUNE June 6 Born Bjorn Borg, Swedish tennis player (1956). June 10 Oxford won the first ever Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race (1829). Died Jack Johnson, American world heavyweight boxing champion (1946). June 11 Died Billy 'Bombardier' Wells, British heavyweight boxing champion (1967). Born Jackie Stewart, Scottish world champion Formula One racing driver (1939). June 12 Born Pat Jennings, Irish soccer player (1945). June 13 First women's golf championship, won by Lady Margaret Scot, Royal Lytham, England (1893). Born Peter Scudamore, English champion jockey (1958). June 14 Born Steffi Graf, German tennis champion (1969). First Henley Regatta on the Thames, England (1839). June 15 Born Johnny Herbert, English Grand Prix racing driver (1964). June 16 Bryan Robson scored after 27 seconds to record the fastest goal in a World Cup competition (1982). June 19 First official baseball game, at Elysian Fields, New Jersey (1846). Born Jeremy Bates, English tennis player (1962). June 20 Born Allan Lamb, English cricketer (1954). June 21 Brazil beat Italy 4:1 in the World Cup Soccer Final (1970). Tony Jacklin became the first Englishman for 50 years to win the US Open (1970). June 22 First cricket match at Lords, between Marylebone and Hertfordshire, London (1814). Wimbledon umpire Dorothy Cavis-Brown fell asleep during a tennis match on Court (1964). June 23 First cricket match between England and the West Indies, the Oval (1928). June 24 Born Jack Dempsey, American heavyweight boxing champion (1895). Born Juan Fangio, 5 times world motor racing champion (1911). June 25 First cricket match between England and India, Lords (1932). Argentina beat Holland 3:1 to win the World Soccer Cup Final in Argentina (1978). June 26 Ingemar Johansson became the first world champion heavyweight boxer from Sweden (1959). Nick Faldo won the French Open Golf title (1988). June 28 Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds to retain his world heavyweight title (1988). June 29 Brazil beat Sweden 5:2 to win the Soccer World Cup (1958). Argentina beat West Germany 3:1 to win the Soccer World Cup (1986). June 30 Born Mike Tyson, American world champion boxer (1966). JULY July 3 William Tiden became the first American tennis player to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon (1920). July 5 Bjorn Borg won the Wimbledon Singles Championship for a record 5th consecutive time (1980). July 7 17 years old Boris Becker became the youngest men's Wimbledon Singles Champion (1985). Martina Navratilova won a record 9th Wimbledon Singles Championship (1990). July 8 John Sullivan beat Jake Kilrain over 75 rounds in the last heavyweight world title contest fought bare-fist, Mississippi, USA (1889). July 9 First Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, at its original Worple Road site (1877). International Olympic Committee lifted a 21 years boycott on South Africa (1991). July 10 Gordon Richards rode his last mount, the 21,834th in a career spanning 34 years, Sandown (1954). David Broome became the first Briton to win the World Show Jumping Championship (1970). July 12 Australian cricket batsman Don Bradman scored a record 334 runs against England at Leeds (1930). Nigel Mansell won the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, England (1992). July 13 First World Soccer Cup, held in Uruguay; the hosts beat the 13 other competing countries (1930). Nigel Mansell became the most successful English driver by winning his 17th Formula 1 Grand Prix (1991). July 16 Born Margaret Court, Australian tennis champion (1942). July 17 Sterling Moss won his first Formula 1 race, The British Grand Prix (1955). July 18 Born Nick Faldo, English golfer (1957). Graham Hill announced his retirement from motor racing (1975). July 19 First men's final at Wimbledon, won by Spencer Gore (1877). First Tour de France cycle race, won by Maurice Garin (1903). July 20 Professional soccer legalised in Britain (1885). July 22 Born Jimmy Hill, English soccer player and commentator (1928). Nigel Short became Britain's youngest Grand Chess Master after winning a tournament at Esbjerk (1984). July 23 Born Graham Gooch, English cricketer (1953). July 26 First women's cricket match, between Hambledon and Bramley, in Guildford, England (1745). Cyclist Steve Roche became the first Irishman to win the Tour de France (1987). July 27 English cricketer Jim Laker took nineteen wickets against Australia in the fourth Test at Manchester (1956). July 29 14th Olympic Games opened in London, the first in 12 years due to World War II (1948). July 30 Uruguay beat Argentina by four goals to two in the final of the first World Cup (1930). England won the Soccer World Cup, beating West Germany 4-2, London (1966). AUGUST August 1 First European Cup Winners' Cup football match was (1960). August 3 Born Osvaldo Ardiles, former Argentinian international footballer (1953). Died Peter Collins, British racing driver, killed in an accident at the German Grand Prix (1958). August 4 Steve Cram set a new world record for the 2,000 metres of 4 minutes, 51.39 seconds in Hungary (1985). August 5 First time penalty kicks used in a tie-breaker in a first-class English football match (1970). August 7 First horse racing meeting at Ascot, England, established by Queen Anne (1711). First motor racing Grand Prix, Brooklands, England (1926). August 10 Champion English jockey Sir Gordon Richards retired after 4,870 wins (1954). August 11 Geoff Boycott scored his 100th century during the Test against Australia, at Headingley, Leeds (1977). August 12 US schooner America won a race around the Isle of Wight, England (1851). August 13 Born Ben Hogan, legendary US golfer (1912). American golfer Jack Nicklaus won the US masters for a record sixth time (1986). August 14 Australian Jack Brabham won the Portugese Grand Prix to become the world motor racing champion (1960). August 15 In Zurich, English athlete Sebastian Coe set his third world record in just six weeks (1979). August 16 The 103-year-old Football League collapsed when the 22 first division clubs handed in their notice of resignation (1991). August 17 Born Nelson Piquet, former Brazilian formula one driver (1952). Born Robin Cousins, English ice-skater and Olympic gold medal winner in 1980 (1957). August 18 Somerset County Cricket Club was formed (1875). August 19 Born Willy Shoemaker, champion US jockey (1931). Sebastian Coe ran the mile in a new world record of 3 minutes and 48.53 seconds in Switzerland (1981). August 20 British sprinter Eric Liddel refused to run in the 100m at the Olympics because it fell on a Sunday (1924). August 23 English cricketer Len Hutton scored a record 364 runs in 13 hours and 20 minutes (1938). Born Geoff Capes, English strongman (1949). August 24 Born Sam Torrance, Scottish golfer (1953). Seventeen-year-old Jimmy Greaves made his football debut for Chelsea (1957). August 25 XVIIth Olympic Games opened in Rome (1960). Carl Lewis set a new world record in the 100 metres to become the fastest human being in history (1991). August 26 Died Sir Francis Chichester, English solo round-the-world yachtsman (1972). South African athlete Zola Budd set a new world record of 14 minutes 48.07 seconds in the 5,000 metres (1985). August 27 Born Derek Warwick, English Grand Prix driver (1954). Born Gerhard Berger, Austrian Grand Prix driver (1959). August 28 Born Emlyn Hughes, former Liverpool, Wolves and England football captain (1947). August 29 Born James Hunt, former English world champion racing driver (1947). Australia defeated England at cricket for the first time (1882). August 30 Born Victor Seixas, former American lawn tennis champion (1923). August 31 Born Clive Lloyd, cricketer and former captain of the West Indies (1944). Died Rocky Marciano, legendary US world champion boxer, killed in an air crash (1969). SEPTEMBER September 1 Born Rocky Marciano, legendary US world champion boxer (1923). September 2 Born Jimmy Connors, US tennis player (1952). September 3 Born Geoff Arnold, Sussex cricketer (1944). September 4 Born Tom Watson, US golfer, five-times winner of the British Open (1949). Born Michael Stean, British chess grandmaster (1953). September 6 First cricket test match in England, played between England and Australia at the Oval, London (1880). Born J R C Young, former England rugby international (1937). September 7 Jackie Stuart became World Motor Racing Champion for the 3rd consecutive year (1973). September 8 Born Geoff Miller, Essex cricketer who also has over 30 test caps for England (1952). September 9 Born John Curry, British ice-skater (1949). Czech tennis player Martina Navratilova, aged 18, defected to the West (1975). September 10 Born Arnold Palmer, US golfer who was sport's first millionaire (1929). September 11 Born Franz Beckenbauer, former German international footballer (1945). Born Barry Sheene, former British motor cycling champion (1950). September 13 First baseball club founded, the Knickerbocker Club, New York (1845). September 14 First penalty kick taken in an English League soccer match (1891). September 15 Born Graham Taylor, former manager of England's soccer team (1944). Tony Jacklin's European golf team won the Ryder Cup from the USA (1985). September 17 Born Sir Francis Chichester, English solo round-the-world yachtsman (1901). Born Stirling Moss, English grand prix driver (1929). September 21 Republic of Ireland beat England 2-0 at Goodison Park, England's first defeat by a foreign soccer team (1949). September 26 Alan Bond's Australia II won the America Cup, the first non-USA winner for 132 years (1983). Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson stripped of his 100m Olympic gold medal after failing a drugs test (1988). OCTOBER October 2 First rugby match played at Twickenham, between Harlequins and Richmond (1909). October 3 First women's cricket match, between Hampshire and Surrey, England (1811). October 8 Born Ray Reardon, snooker champion (1932). October 9 Born Steve Ovett, athlete (1955). October 11 Born Bobby Charlton, footballer (1937). October 18 Born Martina Navratilova, tennis champion (1956). October 21 Niki Lauda became Motor Racing World Champion for the 3rd time (1984). October 23 Former British champion jockey Lester Piggot sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for tax evasion (1987). October 24 First soccer club formed, by a group of Cambridge University Old Boys, England (1857). Heavyweight boxer Frank Bruno knocked out Joe Bugner, London (1987). October 26 English Football Association was formed (1863). NOVEMBER November 5 Born Lester Piggott, jockey (1935). November 7 Sugar Ray Lewis knocked out Donnty Londe, completing his collection of world titles at 5 weights (1988). November 14 Soccer player Bobby Moore made his 108th and final international appearance for England (1973). November 16 Born Frank Bruno, English heavyweight boxer (1961). November 22 Mike Tyson, became the youngest ever heavyweight boxing champion (1986). November 30 First international soccer match, Scotland against England, was a draw 0-0 (1872). Born Gary Lineker, English soccer player (1960). DECEMBER December 3 Boxer James Kelly fought Johnathan Smith in a contest lasting 6.25 hours, Australia (1885). December 6 Born Keke Rosberg, Finnish motor-racing champion (1948). December 8 Englishman Tom King beat John Heenan to become the first world heavyweight champion (1863). Heavyweight boxer Georges Carpenter knocked out his opponent in the first round (1913). December 14 First open table tennis tournament, London (1901). Born Stan Smith, US tennis champion (1946). December 18 Born Mohammed Ali, US boxer (1942). Stanley Barrett became the first man to break the sound barrier on land, achieving 739.6 mph (1979). December 21 Born Chris Evert, US tennis champion (1954). December 26 American Galveston Jack became the first black boxer to win the world heavyweight title (1908). December 28 Highest cricket innings score of 1,107 runs hit by Victoria against New South Wales (1926). December 29 Born Harvey Smith, show-jumper (1938). December 30 Born Gordon Banks, footballer (1937).