1974 — Jody Scheckter becomes the first South African to win a world championship race when he edges his Tyrrell-Ford teammate Patrick Depallier of France by 0.38 sec to take the chequered flag at the Swedish Grand Prix in Anderstorp. Briton James Hunt was third. Scheckter’s father, Max, was at his golf club in East London when he heard the news, and bought rounds of drinks celebrating the victory with his fellow golfers.
1984 — Danie Gerber scores three of South Africa’s six tries as the Springboks hammer England 35-9 in the second and final Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Flyhalf Errol Tobias also went over and added a conversion to become the first black man to score points for the Springboks. England failed to breach the Bok defence in 160 minutes of rugby. South Africa won the series 2-0.
2000 — South African duo Mariaan de Swardt and David Adams win the French Open mixed doubles crown, beating Australians Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge 6-3 6-3 in the final.
2007 — Controversial loose forward Luke Watson and centre Waylon Murray make their international debuts as the Springboks beat Samoa 35-8 in a one-off Test at Ellis Park. South Africa scored five tries that day, with winger JP Pietersen dotting down for the first time in green and gold.
2009 — Roelof van der Merwe takes 2/14 as the Proteas edge New Zealand by one run in a T20 World match at Lord’s. Defending 128/7, South Africa restricted the Kiwis to 127/5.
2012 — Morne Steyn scores 17 points, including one try, as the Springboks beat England 22-17 in Durban in the first Test of a three-match series. Captain Jean de Villiers scored South Africa’s other try.
2012 — Sunette Viljoen throws a 69.35 African record to win the Diamond League meet in New York. She won four Diamond League titles in all, from 2010 to 2016.
2012 — Bafana Bafana are held to a 1-1 draw by Botswana in a World Cup qualifier in Gaborone. Morgan Gould put South Africa ahead in the 15th minute, but Ofentse Nato equalised for the home side in the 38th minute.
2018 — Siya Kolisi becomes the first black Springbok captain in fine style as he leads his team to a dramatic 42-39 come-from-behind victory over England in the first Test at Ellis Park. Trailing 3-24 at one point in the first half, South Africa bounced back for a 29-27 lead at the break. Right winger Sbu Nkosi crossed over twice and fellow debutant Aphiwe Dyantyi on the other wing also had a massive match, scoring a try himself. With both sides scoring five tries, the difference came down to the kicking, with flyhalf Handré Pollard landing three penalties to England’s two.
2018 — Lizelle Lee scores an unbeaten 92 and captain Dane van Niekerk 58 as the Proteas, needing 190, beat England by seven wickets to win the first ODI in Worcester. Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka took three wickets each.
2022 — David Miller smashes an unbeaten 64 from 31 balls and Rassie van der Dussen 75 not out off 46 to lead the Proteas, chasing 212, to a seven-wicket victory over India in the first T20 in Delhi. The two put on 131 runs, an South African record for the fourth wicket.
2022 — Bafana Bafana are beaten 1-2 by Morocco in their opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Rabat. Lyle Foster put South Africa ahead in the eighth minute, but the home side struck back in second half, the winning goal coming with three minutes of regulation time remaining.
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