• May 7 down the years

Coulthard goes close after plane crash

David Coulthard went close to victory in Spain © Getty Images

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2000
Mika Häkkinen won the Spanish Grand Prix. But the news story was David Coulthard's second place finish only five days after surviving a plane crash which killed both the pilots. Michael Schumacher started on pole but finished only fifth. Still, his excellent start and finish to the season stopped Häkkinen winning the world title for the third year in a row.

1978
At last, after finishing second eight times in Formula One races, French driver Patrick Depailler took the chequered flag for the first time. The Monaco Grand Prix was his 69th start, an instant success compared with several drivers who drove more than 100 Grands Prix before winning one. The current record belongs to Mark Webber, who succeeded at long last on July 11 2009.

1989
Ayrton Senna won the Monaco Grand Prix for the second time and the first of five in a row, a record for any Formula One race. He won it for the sixth and last time on May 23 1993.

1977
Widnes reached the Challenge Cup final for the third consecutive year but lost for the second time in a row. Leeds had the cultured John Holmes at fly-half, and his cross-kick led to a try for flying winger John Atkinson. Leeds had the chunky Kevin Dick at scrum-half. His late dummy and dive brought him a try to add to his three goals and drop goal. Leeds had Steve Pitchford as the Lance Todd winner. Built like a bullock, he broke the Widnes defence with a series of charging runs. Leeds won 16-7 and were back for a thrilling final on May 13 the next year.

1999
Australian ace Mick Doohan (born June 4 1965) crashed in practice at the Spanish Grand Prix. He broke his leg, wrist, and collarbone, and retired from motorcycling. A crash in 1992 had cost him his first 500cc world title. This one cost him the chance of winning it for a sixth year in a row.

2001
Long time in the waiting. At the age of 25, Ronnie O'Sullivan won the world snooker title for the first time. The only thing surprising about his win was the timing. He made a 147 maximum when he was 15 (March 13 1991), won the UK Championship when he was 17 (November 28 1993), and was fully expected to become the youngest ever world champion, probably while he was still in his teens. But it wasn't until today that he got his act together to beat John Higgins in the final. In the first evening session, he made breaks of 99, 100, and 99 to lead 10-6 overnight, then opened out to 14-7. Higgins pulled back to 14-10, but the four-frame gap was still there at the end: 18-14.

Ronnie O'Sullivan got his hands on the world crown for the first time © Getty Images

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1936
Tony O'Reilly was born in Dublin. One of the top rugby union wingers of his generation, he won his first cap for Ireland when he was only 18 (January 22 1955) and won his last as shadow of himself on February 14 1970. International rugby was a dreary defensive game in his time, so he scored only four tries in 29 matches for Ireland. But the Lions threw the ball around, which suited him to the ground. When he was still only 19, he scored two in four Tests in South Africa in 1955. Four years later, it was four in six matches in Australia and New Zealand. He was a star of both tours with his height, pace and strength. He went on to become one of the richest men in Ireland, top of the tree at Heinz etc. He and his wife had a Fibonacci approach to parenthood. First they had a child. Then they had twins. Then they had triplets. Then they stopped.

1994
Still in rugby union, Bath won the English Cup for the eighth time in eleven years, beating holders Leicester 21-9 in the final and achieving their third League and Cup Double in four seasons. Leicester's talked-up fly-half Jez Harris landed three penalty kicks but missed four others. Meanwhile Jon Callard kicked 11 points for Bath. Tony Swift scored his usual try in a Final, Mike Catt scored another; and Jack Rowell got the send-off he wanted before going off to coach England.

1994 Julio César Chávez regained the WBC light-welterweight title he lost to Frankie Randall on January 29. That was Chávez's first defeat as a pro. Tonight they fought an equally close fight, which ended in another split decision. They met again ten years later, by which time Chávez was ready for retirement and Randall was fighting on the back of losing his last five fights. Chávez won a unanimous decision.

1994
Scrum-half Alessandro Troncon made his debut for Italy. It was a gentle introduction to international rugby, sent on as a sub in a 62-15 win over Spain that was not as easy as it looks. Playing at home in Parma, Italy led only 20-10 at half-time. Troncon won his last cap on the same day as a 100-match man on Septemebr 29 2007.

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