1. 1911
   1923
2. 1945
   2000

By signing an MLB contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945, Jackie Robinson smashed through the color barrier by becoming the first African American to do so. Robinson still had to overcome many trials, but he was truly a trailblazer!

1. 1988
   1954
2. 2001
   1900

With the help of pacemakers Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in windy conditions on May 6, 1954. In fact, the wind was so bad, Bannister was going to call off his attempt. He persevered, however, stopping the clock in 3:59.40 seconds.

1. 1972
   1996
2. 2000
   2004

Mark Spitz's incredible feat is often forgotten behind the attacks on the Israeli team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich in which 11 athletes died. Spitz not only won seven gold medals but set seven world records as well.

1. 1973
   1980
2. 2000
   1955

In 1973 Bobby Riggs, a former world number-one tennis player, brashly declared that he could beat any female tennis player on the circuit. He couldn't. In an exhibition match, Billy Jean King beat in in three sets, taking home $100,000 in the process.

1. 1973
   1981
2. 2000
   1965

By winning the Triple Crown in 1973, Secretariat became the first horse in 25 to achieve the feat. In the last race of the series, Secretariat won by a massive 31 lengths in a world-record time that still stands today.

1. 1974
   1990
2. 2001
   1923

Hank Aaron was the man to break Babe Ruth's long-standing home-run record. He did so on April 8, 1974. Aaron's record was in turn broken by Barry Bonds a few decades later.

1. 1979
   1976
2. 1980
   1968

Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci stunned the world in at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal when she scored a perfect 10 on the uneven bars. She went onto win three gold medals at just 14 years of age.

1. 1976
   1991
2. 2017
   1950

With the finals tied at 2-2, the winner of the final match of the NBA finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics would take home the glory. The game needed three overtime periods to finally separate the teams, with Boston eventually winning 128-126.

1. 1980
   1990
2. 1976
   1971

Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe served up some really epic tennis matches—none more so than their five-set battle at Wimbledon in 1980. Borg won, giving him his five titles in a row.

1. 1951
   1949
2. 1966
   1939

Suffering with a disease that would later bear his name, Lou Gehrig—or "Iron Horse" to baseball fans—played the last of his 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees. Sadly, the disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, meant he had to retire. He died just two years later.

1. 2010
   1970
2. 1930
   1955

Bobby Jones won the British Amateur, British Open, U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open, the majors at the time, in 1930—a feat never achieved again.

1. 1981
   1988
2. 1952
   1974

Described as one of the greatest boxing matches in history, the "Rumble in the Jungle" saw Muhammad Ali reclaim his world heavyweight crown from George Foreman. The fight was held in Zaire.

1. 1995
   2002
2. 2000
   1998

On September 27, 1998, Mark McGwire became the first ever man to hit 70 homers in a baseball season. McGwire achieved the feat playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he went on to smash 583 home runs in his career.

1. 1955
   1962
2. 1931
   1977

Only just over 4,000 people saw Wilt Chamberlain throw the first—and to date, only—100-point game in the NBA. Chamberlain, playing for the New York Nicks, achieved the feat against the Philadelphia Warriors.

1. 1956
   1944
2. 1951
   1981

Don Larsen's feat came in Game 5 of the World Series. His efforts saw the Yankees win 2-0.The Yankees went on to win the World Series.

1. 1960
   1968
2. 1930
   2000

The crowd watching the track and field events at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico were stunned into silence when Bob Beamon smashed the long-jump record by an incredible two feet. Undoubtedly, his effort is one of the greatest athletic achievements ever.

1. 1964
   1973
2. 1955
   1951

Sonny Liston had been the champion since 1962, but on February 25, 1964, Cassius Clay decimated him, with Liston forced to throw in the towel after six rounds. Clay had opened cuts on Liston's face, and a shoulder injury further complicated matters.

1. 1944
   1940
2. 1932
   1936

Oh and how he did it! Jessie owns won four golds in front of Adolf Hitler and broke three world and one Olympic records. Owens won gold in the 100m, 200m, Long Jump and 4x100m relay.

1. 1940
   1944
2. 1931
   1938

In a massive blow to Hitler's supposed Aryan superiority, Joe Louis obliterated the German Max Schmeling on June 22, 1938. In that time, he put the German on the canvas three times.

1. 2000
   2004
2. 2008
   1992

A team filled with NBA superstars including the like of Magic Johnson, the "Dream Team" dominated basketball at the 1992 Olympics. In fact, they beat each of their opponents by more than 30 points.

1. 1966
   1958
2. 2000
   2011

The matchup between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants saw the Colts run out winners in sudden death and was the first NFL championship game to go into overtime.

1. 1965
   1968
2. 1971
   1981

In 1968, Arthur Ashe wrote his name into tennis history by becoming the first player of color to win the U.S. Open, as well as the first to win a open-era tournament.

1. 1994
   1986
2. 2000
   2004

Diego Maradona was at the peak of his powers during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Representing Argentina, he managed to score a goal using his hand while trying to head a ball into the net against England. The English players protested, but the goal stood. A few minute later, Maradona sealed the match with a goal which he dribbled past a number of English players to slot home.

1. 1982
   1990
2. 1992
   2007

Buster Douglas was a 47-1 outside the the heavyweight title fight against Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990. But he dominated Tyson, before sending him to the canvas. Douglas lost the title the next year to Evander Holyfield.

1. 1996
   1992
2. 2000
   2004

Many remember that iconic moment when Muhammad Ali, a hero to millions but now ravaged by Parkinson's, lit the Olympic flame at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Ali was also given a medal to replace the one he won in 1960 but tossed into a river due to the the frustration that he was ordered out of a restaurant which served white people only.

1. 1938
   1974
2. 1968
   1958

Though he was only a teenager, the soccer world soon knew who Pele was thanks to his exploits at the 1958 Soccer World Cup. At just 17 years old, Pele helped Brazil to win the tournament by scoring six goals.

1. 2007
   1991
2. 1987
   1965

Although rugby internationals had been played since the early 1900s, the first Rugby World Cup only arrived in 1987. It was won by New Zealand, although possibly the strongest rugby nation at the time, South Africa, was in international isolation due to apartheid.

1. 2010
   2015
2. 2002
   1999

Incredibly, Carli Lloyd achieved her amazing feat in the first 16 minutes of the game with her hat-trick goal an incredible long-range effort from almost the half-way line. The U.S. went on to win 5-2 and claim the World Cup.

1. 2000
   1975
2. 2010
   2008

Cricket as a sport had been played internationally since the late 1800s. The first Wold Cup for the sport only took place in 1975, however. It was won by the West Indies, who defeated Australia in the final.

1. 1981
   1984
2. 2000
   1977

After losing to Bjorn Borg in the 1980s, John McEnroe finally got one over his great rival, winning the 1981 Wimbledon final in four sets: 4–6, 7–6 (7–1), 7–6 (7–4), 6–4.

1. 1980
   1972
2. 1992
   1986

Jack Nicklaus is perhaps the greatest golfer ever; if measured by Majors, then he surely is. Nicklaus' last Major came at the age of 46 at the U.S. Master, taking his overall tally to 18.

1. 2001
   1999
2. 1995
   1989

Cal Ripken Jr. spent his 20-year baseball career only playing for the Baltimore Orioles between 1991 and 2001. His record of consecutive games was set at 2,632, an amount that will probably never be broken. Ripken Jr. also received pretty much every accolade in baseball.

1. 1932
   1919
2. 1950
   1921

In the fifth inning of the third game of the 1932 World Series, Babe Ruth pointed to the stands beyond center field. The very next ball, he sent the ball sailing into the bleachers in that region, and the legend of the Ruth "called shot" was born!

1. 1980
   1972
2. 1984
   1966

One of the greatest upsets in any sport ever, the United States ice hockey team beat the Soviet juggernaut 4-3 at the 1980 Olympics. Just a few weeks before, the Soviets had beaten the United States 10-3, making the result even more remarkable. The United States went on to win gold.

1. 1991
   1987
2. 1995
   2015

As told by the Hollywood movie "Invictus," Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected leader of South Africa, used sport to help reconcile the nation. He was on hand to inspire the South African rugby side to victory over their more fancied rivals, New Zealand, in 1995.

1. 1988
   1952
2. 1948
   1900

Australia's Don Bradman is the greatest cricket player of all time, of that there is no doubt. And he would have finished his career with a batting average of 100 if he could score 4 runs in his final innings. It seemed a foregone conclusion, but England's Eric Hollies had other ideas, and he bowled Bradman for a duck.

1. 1998
   2018
2. 2004
   1972

Perhaps it was written in the stars that France would win the first World Cup held in the country. A golden generation of footballers saw them to victory over Brazil, certainly their more fancied rivals.

1. 2012
   2008
2. 2004
   2000

It was at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that Usain Bolt showed he was the fastest man in the world. Bolt won both the 100m and 200m titles, and in world-record times, making him the first man to ever do so.

1. 2001
   1999
2. 1989
   1978

On October 15, 1989, Wayne Gretzky became the all-time leading NHL scorer with 1,850 points, beating the previous record of Gordie Howe. He ended his career with 2,857 points and 1,963 assists.

1. 2001
   1994
2. 1997
   2004

Not only did he become the youngest Master champion at just 21, he obliterated the field in doing so. Tiger Woods won by an incredible 12 shots. It was only his 15th tournament as a pro!