TIMELINER

History's most surprising connections

Sports

Athletes who broke records, broke barriers, and inspired millions.

Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
1895–1948 · Baseball's Sultan of Swat
 Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
1913–1980 · 4 gold medals at 1936 Berlin Olympics
 Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
1919–1972 · Broke baseball's color barrier
 Pelé
Pelé
1940–2022 · The King of Football, 3 World Cups
 Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
1942–2016 · The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion
 Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
1943–present · Tennis champion, gender equality advocate
 Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
1961–present · The Great One, greatest ice hockey player
 Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
1963–present · Greatest basketball player of all time
 Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
1978–2020 · NBA legend, Mamba Mentality
 Roger Federer
Roger Federer
1981–present · Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles
 Serena Williams
Serena Williams
1981–present · Greatest female tennis player of all time
 Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
1986–present · Fastest man in history
 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
1987–present · Greatest footballer of all time

Key Events in Sports

1863 Football Association founded; modern soccer begins
1877 First Wimbledon Championship held
1891 James Naismith invents basketball
1896 First modern Olympic Games in Athens
1903 First Tour de France
1903 First World Series in baseball
1930 First FIFA World Cup held in Uruguay
1936 Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at Berlin Olympics
1947 Jackie Robinson breaks baseball's color line
1954 Roger Bannister runs first sub-4-minute mile
1960 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins Olympic gold
1966 England wins FIFA World Cup at Wembley
1967 First Super Bowl played
1972 Title IX enacted, transforming women's sports in the US
1980 Miracle on Ice: US hockey defeats Soviet Union at Olympics
1995 South Africa hosts and wins Rugby World Cup
2008 Usain Bolt sets 100m world record at Beijing Olympics
2016 Leicester City wins Premier League against 5000-1 odds