40 of the greatest moments in British sport Roger Bannister's Record Breaking Mile, 1954 On May 6, 1954, 3,000 spectators watched Bannister become the first man ever to run a mile in under four minutes. His time was three minutes, 59.4 seconds, and it earned him a place in history. Mike Hawthorn wins F1, 1958 Mike Hawthorn became the first Briton to win the F1 World Championship, setting the standard for all future British Champions, from Jackie Stewart to Lewis Hamilton. Henry Cooper vs Cassius Clay, 1963 Cooper's famous left hook, nicknamed "Enry's "Ammer," was put to good use in 1963 when he became one of only four men to knock down Mohammad Ali (then Cassius Clay). Ali went on to win the match, but Cooper's knock was never forgotten. England Wins Football World Cup, 1966 Geoff Hurst led the team to victory in their final match against West Germany, scoring a hat-trick which amounted to a 4-2 victory in extra time. He remains the only man ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. They think it's all over! Frances Chichester's Round the World Trip, 1967 Chichester became the first man to sail single-handedly around the world when he arrived back in Plymouth after nine months and one day of sailing. He was knighted soon afterwards for his achievement. Mary Peters's Heptathlon Gold, 1972 After finishing fourth and ninth in the previous two Olympics, Peters beat the local favourite, Germany's Heide Rosendahl, by the narrow margin of 10 points to take home the gold in Munich. Virginia Wade's Wimbledon, 1977 In the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Wade won the Wimbledon title after recovering from a slow start to the game and one lost set. She is the last British woman to have done so. Red Rum's Third Grand National, 1977 The regal horse Red Rum made history when he won his third Grand National, a historical record that as yet remains unmatched. Allan Wells" 100m, 1980 In the Moscow summer Olympics Wells won the gold for Team GB with a time of 10.25 seconds, making him the first Briton ever to win a 100m race. Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett's Rivalry, 1980 Coe and Ovett's rivalry was arguably the most memorable aspect of the Munich summer Olympics. World record holder Coe was beaten by Ovett in the 800m, whilst favourite to win Ovett was beaten by Coe in the 1500m. Both were wins for Team GB. Bob Champion's Comeback, 1981 After being diagnosed with testicular cancer and told he had eight months to live, Champion made a miraculous recovery and went on to win the Grand National on Aldinti, a horse that had recovered from three leg breaks. It was arguably the most emotional win in British horse racing history. Ian Botham's Ashes, 1981 Ian Botham led the England cricket team to triumph in the 1981 Ashes with a record-breaking, and still unbeaten, 149 runs in the second innings. Daley Thompson's Best Olympics, 1984 Already an Olympic gold medallist, British athlete Daley added to his success when he beat the American favourites to the Decathlon gold on their own track with a new Olympic record at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Torvill and Dean, 1984 Torvill and Dean's stunning routine took the gold for Team GB in the Los Angeles Olympics with the highest scoring routine for figure skaters ever recorded. Tanni Grey-Thompson's Four Golds, 1992 Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of Britain's most famous and successful Paralympic athletes, with a total of 11 Paralympic gold medals in athletics. 1992 was the year she drew some much deserved attention towards the Paralympics by winning four golds in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m races in Barcelona. Jonathan Edwards's Triple Jump, 1995 Jonathan Edwards broke two triple jump records in two consecutive jumps, winning gold in the World Championships. The record he set of 18.29 metres is yet to be beaten. Nick Faldo's Comeback, 1996 After a six year gap Nick Faldo came back to win the Masters Tournament for the third time, earning him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Beckham's Halfway Line Goal, 1996 David Beckham became a household name when he scored a goal from the halfway line in a match against Wimbledon. It was the start of a legacy which would eventually earn him the title "Golden Balls." Steve Redgrave's Final Medal, 2000 Despite telling anyone who saw him climb back into a boat to shoot him, after winning his fourth gold medal in Atlanta 1996, Redgrave went on to win one final gold at the Athens Olympics in 2000, making him the first Briton to win five Olympic gold medals. England Defeat Germany 5-1, 2001 England's football rivalry with Germany dates back to 1899, so fans responded with elation when England defeated Germany in a world cup qualifying match with the staggering 5-1 victory, largely thanks to Michael Owen's hat-trick. Paula Radcliffe's Marathon, 2003 Whilst her other aspects of her marathon running may be more memorable, it should not be forgotten that Radcliffe set the women's record marathon time in the London Marathon of 2003, finishing in 2:15:25 hours. This record still stands. England Wins Rugby World Cup, 2003 An evenly matched World Cup Final was saved by Johnny Wilkinson when, in extra time, he kicked a dropped goal and won the match by the narrow margin of three points. It was the first win for England in the Rugby World Cup. Kelly Holmes's Double Gold, 2004 Never having won a gold medal in an Olympics before, Kelly Holmes surpassed all expectation when she won the gold in not only one race, but in two. Ellen MacArthur Breaks a Record, 2005 MacArthur became internationally recognised when she successfully broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe. She sailed the 27,354 miles in just 71 days, 14 hours and 18 minutes. England's Return to the Ashes, 2005 After narrowly recovering their game by a two run win in the second series, England went on to win the Ashes for the first time since 1987. David Haye Wins EBU Championship, 2005 Having gained popularity by conquering the ex-world champion "King" Arthur Williams in just three rounds, Haye went on to win the EBU Cruiserweight Championship when he knocked out previous champion Gurov in just 45 seconds. Chris Hoy's Three Golds, 2008 Hoy won three cycling gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the first Briton for 100 years to do so in one Games. He is now the most successful British Olympian of all time. Lewis Hamilton Wins Formula 1, 2008 Twelve years after Damon Hill's 1996 triumph in F1, Hamilton became the youngest ever driver to win the championship. Hamilton clinched his victory by just one point. Chelsea Wins Champions League, 2012 Chelsea won the European cup for the first time in a nail-biting penalty shoot out against Bayern Munich. Didier Drogba simultaneously won his penalty and kicked his final ball for the club, ensuring a 4-3 victory and proved that the English can beat Germany in penalty shoot outs. Bradley Wiggins Wins Tour De France, 2012 Bradley Wiggins kicked off the summer's successes by becoming the first ever British winner of the Tour de France in July. He continued his winning streak with a gold medal in the Olympics, making him the only man to have won the Tour de France and an Olympic gold in the same year. Nicola Adams's Boxing Victory, 2012 Nicola Adams made history this summer when she became the first woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal. To gain her medal Adams had to defeat the world number one, Chinese boxer Ren Cancan. Jessica Ennis is Best All-Round Athlete, 2012 Jessica Ennis, after missing out on her chance to compete in Beijing due to injury, won the heptathlon gold in her first Olympics by 306 points. She achieved personal bests in three events: 100m hurdles, 200m sprint and javelin. Mo Farah's Double Victory, 2012 In his first Olympic Games Farah emerged with a double gold victory in the 5000m and 10,000m. He is the first Briton to have won the 10,000m, and his signature "Mobot" pose is now demonstrated nationwide. Katharine Grainger Finally Gets her Gold, 2012 After three silvers in each previous Olympics, Grainger finally won the gold she had longed for at the summer games. It was a win fully deserved and felt, not just by Grainger herself, but by all of Britain. Rory McIlroy Wins USPGA Championship, 2012 After a slow start to the season in spring, golfer McIlroy recovered in spectacular style to win the USPGA Championship in a record eight strokes. This win made him the first European to win four PGA Tour events in a single season. Ellie Simmonds Does It Again, 2012 At her second Paralympics Ellie Simmonds did not fail to disappoint, emerging with four medals, two of which were golds, and two new world records. It was the 400m freestyle that was the most incredible watch, in which she overtook rival Victoria Arlen on the last length and shaved five whole seconds off the world record. David Weir's Paralympics, 2012 After two golds in Beijing, Weir returned to the Olympics this summer with a vengeance. As the sound of his fans" "Weirwolf cry" resonated through London, Weir earned four gold medals. Murray's First Grand Slam Victory, 2012 Murray triumphed in the long battle against world number two Djokovic to win the US Open after five incredibly close sets. After four attempts at Grand Slam victory, this was a well deserved win and brilliant end to the Great British summer of sport.