THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1950: Vic Toweel wins the undisputed world bantamweight title as he outpoints veteran Manuel Ortiz at Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg.

1974: World Boxing Association bantamweight title-holder Arnold Taylor, SA’s second world boxing champion, suffers a shock points defeat against unheralded American Lorenzo Trujillo in Port Elizabeth.

1980: Scrumhalf Divan Serfontein scores a late try as the Springboks beat the British & Irish Lions 26-22 at Newlands in the first rugby Test of the series.

1981 : Bruce Fordyce wins the first of his nine Comrades crowns, winning the up run in 5hr 37min 28sec.

1989: Frith van der Merwe wins the second of her three Comrades titles, but this one is the most spectacular, her 5hr 54min 43sec effort earning her 15th position overall. Samuel Tshabalala won the men’s race that year to become the first black Comrades champion.

2014: Johan Cronje breaks Johan Fourie’s SA mile record, clocking 3min 50.70sec at the Prefontaine Classic in the US. Fourie had gone 3:50.82 in Port Elizabeth in 1987.