1924 — Sydney Atkinson finishes second in the 110m hurdles for the Olympic silver at the Paris Games. Four years later he became the first South African to upgrade to gold in any event. He would remain the only South African to improve a podium position from one Games to the next until Caster Semenya in 2016.
1933 — The Springboks take on Australia for the first time, playing the first of a five-Test series at Newlands. South Africa won 17-3, scoring four tries without reply. Eighthman Ferdie Bergh scored a brace, while Western Province’s legendary halfback pairing of Bennie Osler and Danie Craven scored one apiece.
1947 — Bobby Locke beats Ed Oliver in a playoff to win the All-American Open in Chicago. He shot a four-under-par 140 to take the 36-hole shootout by six strokes and claim the winner’s prize of $7,000. “Porky” Oliver finished second in the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship.
1950 — Eric Sturgess retains his Wimbledon mixed doubles title, playing alongside American Louise Brough to down Geoff Brown of Australia and Pat Todd of the US 11-9 1-6 6-4. Brough had been on the losing side against Sturgess the previous year.
1960 — Trevor Goddard ends with five wickets as South Africa bowl out England for 287 on the second day of the third Test in Nottingham.
1978 — Frew McMillan lifts the men’s and mixed doubles crowns at Wimbledon on the same day. He and Bob Hewitt won their third gentlemen’s doubles title by beating John McEnroe and Peter Fleming 6-1 6-4 6-2 and then McMillan teamed up with Betty Stove of the Netherlands to see off Australian Ray Ruffels and American legend Billie-Jean King 6-2 6-2.
1990 — Laurette Maritz beats Alison Nicholas of Britain on the first playoff hole to win the Laing Charity Classic at the Stoke Poges club in England, her third and final victory on the LET. She shot a final-round 68 that included a hole in one at the third to end tied on 13-under-par 275.
2000 — Jacques Kallis top scores with 83 to help the Proteas beat Pakistan by 18 runs in an ODI in Colombo. South Africa made 241/6 before restricting their opponents to 223/9, with Nicky Boje taking 4/25. The match was part of a triangular series also featuring hosts Sri Lanka.
2000 — Wing Breyton Paulse scores two tries and scrumhalf Werner Swanepoel one as the Springboks go down 23-44 against Australia in a Nelson Mandela Challenge match at the new covered Colonial stadium in Melbourne. The home side scored five tries, with Stirling Mortlock on the right wing dotting down twice himself.
2003 — The Proteas bowlers are unable to defend a total of 198, losing to England by four wickets in an ODI in Birmingham. The home side reached the target with 11 overs remaining. The match was part of a triangular tournament also featuring Zimbabwe.
2005 — Bafana Bafana stun Mexico 2-1 in their opening Gold Cup group match in Los Angeles. Phil Evans and Elrio van Heerden scored in the opening half, with Francisco Rodrigues pulling back one in the 82nd minute.
2017 — Lizelle Lee scores 92 off 65 balls as the Proteas women score 273/9 and smash India by 115 runs in a World Cup group match in Leicester. Dane van Niekerk scored 57 and took 4/22.
2019 — Tatjana Schoenmaker claims the double at the World Student Games, winning the 200m breaststroke in 2 min 22.92 sec to add to her 100m crown. Her Tuks teammate, Kaylene Corbett, was fourth. Schoenmaker ended fourth in the 50m breaststroke two days later, just 0.41 sec behind the winner.
2021 — Thabang Sibanyoni scores to give Bafana Bafana a 1-0 win over Eswatini in a Cosafa Cup group match at the Isaac Wolfson stadium.
2022 — Wales score late to clinch the second Test against the Springboks in Bloemfontein 13-12 to level the three-match series at 1-1
2023 — Kurt-Lee Arendse scores a hat-trick as the Springboks smash Australia 43-12 in a Rugby Championship contest at Loftus Versfeld.
2023 — Iqraam Rayners and Mokete Mogaila score as Bafana Bafana beat Botswana 2-1 in a Cosafa Cup group match at King Zwelithini Stadium.
2025 — The Proteas bowl out Zimbabwe for 220 to win the second Test in Bulawayo by an innings and 236 runs, taking the series 2-0. Corbin Bosch and Senuran Muthusamy did most of the damage in the final innings, taking 4/38 and 3/77.
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