ANNIVERSARIES

Today: Muhammad Ali won his first title since returning to the ring after his enforced lay-off for refusing to be drafted, beating Jimmy Ellis for the North American heavyweight title in 1971. Stephen Roche became the first Irishman to win the Tour de France in 1987.

Tomorrow: In 1992 Alan Shearer was transferred from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers for a record fee of pounds 3.6m. David Campese became the first man to score 40 tries in international rugby union when Australia defeated England 40-15 in Sydney in 1991.

Wednesday: Laura Davies became the first British winner of the US Women's Open in New Jersey in 1987.

Thursday: The first Olympic Games since 1936 opened at Wembley Stadium in 1948. Friday: On this date in 1966 England won the World Cup, beating West Germany 4-2 in extra time at Wembley. Thirty-six years earlier, the first World Cup ended with another 4-2 win, this time for hosts Uruguay who defeated Argentina in Montevideo.

Saturday: Jim Laker took all 10 Australian wickets for 53 runs in the second innings of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in 1956. Sunday: The X1th Olympic Games opened in Berlin in 1936. Hitler attempted to use the event to promote the idea of Aryan supremacy, but black American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals to expose the absurdity of that notion.