At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, sprinter Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal of the Games in the 4×100-metre relay. But this iconic success – registered in a world-record time of 39.8 seconds – stood for so much more. The event was politically charged, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler using them as a propoganda drive for his party and to showcase supposed Aryan superiority.

Owens’ triumphs as an African-American shattered Hitler’s warped message. He was the undoubted star of the Games, claiming his other three golds in dominant fashion in the long jump, 100m and 200m. Owens retired from amateur competition soon after an event which was to define his life.

Other memorable events to happen on this day…

1892: A remarkable match sees Lancashire beat Somerset by eight wickets, in just one day. The drying pitch made batting impossible, 32 wickets falling for 294 runs.

1975: The first-ever NFL match is held at the Louisiana Superdome, Houston beating the Saints 13-7.

1992: England great David Gower plays his last day of Test cricket, being bowled for 1 in second innings versus Pakistan at The Oval.

1989: Barry Bonds hits the 600th home run of his Major League Baseball career, against the Pirates.