• May 4 down the years

Bath win third straight English Cup

Bath capitalised on Leicester's profligacy © Getty Images

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1996
Bath rugby club won the English Cup for the third year in a row. It was the 10th time they won the trophy and their fourth League and Cup Double - but it was all achieved with the most controversial ending. When big Matt Poole scored Leicester's second try six minutes from time, Leicester led 15-9 and seemed to have done enough. But although Martin Johnson ruled the lineout, they had not turned pressure into enough points. John Liley missed five of his seven kicks at goal - and now that profligacy turned round and bit them. The Leicester pack killed the ball for the fourth time in quick succession - and referee Steve Lander suddenly awarded Bath a penalty try. Jon Callard's conversion won the Cup 16-15, and Leicester flanker Neil Back appeared to shove the referee after the whistle. Lander was shepherded through the crowd by Leicester hooker Richard Cockerill. Leicester won the Cup the following year, Bath haven't won it since.

On the same day, Pontypridd must have thought they were going to lose the Welsh Cup final for the second year in a row when they trailed Neath 22-9. But Geraint Lewis scored two tries and they came through 29-22. Patrick Horgan converted one of Neath's four tries and scored two himself. But the ever-reliable Neil Jenkins made the difference, kicking 14 points in a virtuoso display to help Pontypridd win the Cup for the first time.

1969
Jackie Stewart won the Spanish Grand Prix on the way to taking the world title for the first time. Only six drivers finished. Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt crashed out, and assorted other engines blew up or failed. Stewart's spluttered towards the end, but his Matra-Ford got him home two laps clear of Bruce McLaren, who was driving one of his own cars.

On the same day in 1980, Didier Pironi of France won a Formula 1 race for the first time. Driving a Ligier-Ford, he finished the Belgian Grand Prix well clear of Australia's Alan Jones, who went on to win the title and become Australia's first World Champion in the sport since Sir Jack Brabham.

1987
After shocking Steve Davis in the World final on May 5 the previous year, Bradford's Joe Johnson was back to haunt him in the final again. Defending champion or not, Johnson had a poor season and was 66-1 before the tournament. 'Wouldn't it be great', he said. 'Win nothing all year, then come here and win the big one again'. He came very close. In the final session, he took three frames in a row to trail only 14-13. Davis looked on the ropes, haunted by the prospect of losing his third World final in a row. He rallied, and won the next three frames. Johnson pulled one back again, but Davis made a plant in the next, and his break of 78 won him the title back. He kept it for the next two years, and Johnson's time in the limelight was over.

1946
The first time the Lance Todd Trophy was awarded to the man of the match in the Challenge Cup Final. And there's never been a more deserving winner. Billy Stott scored two tries and two goals in Wakefield Trinity's 13-12 win over Wigan, including the winning penalty with 90 seconds left.

Shaun Edwards was a tryscorer for Wigan in the 50th Challenge Cup final © Getty Images

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1985
The 50th Challenge Cup Final held at Wembley was one of the most exciting - but not until the end. When Shaun Edwards scored a try three minutes into the second half, Wigan led Hull 22-8. Soon afterwards, it was 28-12. Hull scored three tries in 12 minutes, but they failed to convert any of their five and lost 28-24.

1956
Ulrike Meyfarth was born in Frankfurt. When she equalled the world record in winning the high jump at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, she was only 16 - making her the youngest winner of an individual athletics event at any Olympics. When she won the same event at the 1984 Games, she had the longest gap between gold medal wins in Olympic track and field history. It was quite a resurrection for someone who had experienced a slump after her teenage success. Out of the medals at two European Championships, she did not reach the Final at the 1976 Olympics and missed the 1980 Games because of the anti-Soviet boycott. Her comeback began at the 1982 Europeans, when she broke the world record in beating Tamara Bykova, who beat her at the inaugural World Championships the following year. Bykova was kept out of the 1984 Games by another boycott, and Meyfarth beat a fading Sara Simeoni (born April 19 1953), who was very happy with silver.

1974
Tony McCoy was born. The Ulsterman is the greatest jockey in the history of National Hunt racing. He has won a string a big races - three Champion Hurdles, a Gold Cup and a Grand National head the list - while has been champion jockey on a 16 occasions. And in 2010 he did what many felt impossible, taking horse racing into the mainstream by being named Sports Personality of the Year.

1987
Jorge Lorenzo was born. Like most top motorcyclists, he started young. When he won the Brazilian 125 Grand Prix in 2003, he was only 16. He was 250 cc World Champion in 2006 at 19, and again in 2007 before moving up to MotoGp. His debut season was punctuated with crashes, but in 2009 he finished second in the Championship to Yamaha team mate Valentino Rossi and is enjoying another prosperous season so far this year.

1991
Finnish javelin thrower Seppo Räty broke the world record, launching the first throw over 90 metres since Steve Backley achieved the feat on July 20 the previous year.

1890
Olympic shooting legend Morris Fisher was born in Ohio. He won five Olympic golds in the event - three in 1920 and two in 1924. Fisher dominated in the specific events, using his military background to good use in winning the 300 metre free rifle three positions event and the 300 metre military rifle prone team discipline.

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