Olympic blasts!: Jacques Freitag wins the high jump at Golden League meet in Rome

1900 — With women competing for the first time at the Paris Games, Charlotte Cooper of Britain becomes the first woman to become an Olympic champion in an individual event when she wins the women’s tennis singles competition at Paris 1900. Cooper, who beat Hélène Prévost of France in the final, also won the mixed doubles gold with Reginald Doherty, who withdrew from the men’s singles competition in the semifinals rather than play his brother Laurence, the eventual winner of the tournament. The first female Olympic champion, however, was crowned on May 25 already — Hélène de Pourtalès of Switzerland won a sailing competition in a two-person 1-2 ton class, the third lightest of seven weight categories on offer at the time. Apart from tennis and sailing, women also competed in golf and croquet. That was the only time croquet was staged at an Olympics. 

1912 — The pole jump competition, as the pole vault was called, produces six medallists in total — a majority of the 11 competitors who started the final at the Stockholm Games. American Harry Babcock won with a height of 3.95m, with compatriots Frank Nelson and Marc Wright taking silver on 3.85m. Canadian William Halpenny , Swede Bertil Uggla and Frank Murphy, also American, were third on 3.80m. Eight of the 11 finalists were American.

1952 — The athletes’ village in Helsinki resembles real life with a separate camp for teams from behind the Iron Curtain being opened. Entrance was restricted. Visitors receiving permits were given a conducted tour and anyone wanting to visit the living quarters had to get permission from the country concerned.

1952 — Golfer Bobby Locke wins his third British Open title when he edges Australia’s future star, Peter Thomson , by one stroke after shooting a one-under-par 287 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. But Locke nearly missed play on the final day’s 36 holes after discovering his clubs were locked away. He had left them in the boot of his car in a private garage which was now locked. Luckily a milkman, who knew the owner, happened to pass by and he gave Locke a lift to get the keys and the South African arrived at the course just in time to get to the first tee to start the third round.

2003 — South Africa's Jacques Freitag wins the high jump at the Golden League meet in Rome as he launches himself to 2.35m.