Calendar of Events in the History of English Billiards and Snooker

January - March APRIL MAY JUNE July - September October - December

April 3rd 2018. Snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan made his 14th maximum break in competitive play in the 5th frame of his first round match of the Fuhua Group China Open, against Elliot Slessor. Slessor won the match 6 - 2.



April 6th 1876.

John Roberts Junior left England on his first tour of Australia.



April 6th 2014. Snooker.

Ding Junhui matched Stephen Hendry's record of the 1990/91 season of winning 5 ranking tournaments, by beating Neil Robertson 10 - 5 in the final of the China Open, at the Beijing University Students' Gymnasium, Beijing.



April 12th 2017. Snooker.

Fergal O'Brien and David Gilbert played the longest frame in professional snooker history in a match lasting 123 minutes and 41 seconds. It was the last frame of their qualifying match for the World Championships and O'Brien won the frame 73 - 46, winning the match by 10 frames to 9.



April 14th 1937. Snooker.

At 3.00pm the BBC broadcast a 10 minute programme described as being the first televised demonstration of snooker. The two players were Horace Lindrum and Willie Smith.



April 14th 1870. English Billiards.

John Roberts Junior first won the championship by beating William Cook by 478 points in a match of 1000 up in 3 hours 4 minutes.



April 14th 1990. Snooker.

Steve James compiled the first 16 red total clearance in competitive play. He was awarded a free ball before any red had been potted and produced a break of 135 in his first round match against Alex Higgins during the World Professional Snooker Championships at Sheffield.



April 15th 1901.

Birth of Joe Davis. Professional Billiards Champion 1928 - 1932, Professional Snooker Champion 1927 - 1946.



April 15th 1996. Snooker.

Peter Ebdon made two 147 breaks during an 11 frame exhibition match at Eastbourne Police Club, East Sussex.



April 18th 1992. Snooker.

Eddie Charlton became the first ever player to be whitewashed at the World Professional Snooker Championships at Sheffield, after losing 10 - 0 to John Parrott. He held this unenviable record for 27 years, until April 21st - 22nd 2019.



April 18th 2011. Snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan became the third player to make a hundred century breaks in the World Championships. His break of 113 in frame eight against Dominic Dale helped him to a 10 - 2 first round victory.



April 21st 1977. Snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan compiled the fastest 147 ever made in his first round match in the World Championships, against Mick Price. The break took just 5 minutes and 20 seconds, giving an average shot time of 8.8 seconds.



April 21st 2012. Snooker.

Stephen Hendry matched Ronnie O'Sullivan's record of three maximum breaks at the World Championships, and 11 in matchplay, in his first round 10 - 4 victory against Stuart Bingham. The 147 came in the seventh frame.



April 21st - 22nd 2019. Snooker.

Luo Honghao created the unenviable record of scoring the least points in the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre in the past 43 years. He scored only 89 points as he was beaten 10 - 0 by Shaun Murphy in the first round, and became only the second player to lose by that score at the Sheffield Theatre.



April 22nd 2003. Snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan became the first player to make two maximum breaks in the World Championships when he made a 147 in 6 minutes and 30 seconds in the seventh frame of his first round match against Marco Fu of Hong Kong. Fu won by 10 frames to 6.



April 22nd 2012. Snooker.

Luca Brecel became the youngest player ever to have competed at the Crucible Theatre in the World Championships at the age of 17 years and 45 days.



April 22nd 2012. Snooker.

Stephen Hendry matched Ronnie O'Sullivan's record of three maximum breaks at the World Championships, and 11 in matchplay, in his first round 10 - 4 victory against Stuart Bingham. The 147 came in the seventh frame.



April 23rd 1983. Snooker.

Cliff Thorburn of Canada made the first maximum 147 break in the history of the World Professional Snooker Championships, in his second round match against Terry Griffiths at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.



April 24th 1891. English Billiards.

Tom Taylor made a break of 1467 by the 'Jam Shot', in a match at the Royal Aquarium, London.



April 24th 2003. Snooker.

Stephen Hendry set a new record by becoming the first player to achieve 100 century breaks in competitive play in one venue, when he compiled a break of 115 in the seventh frame of his second round World Championship match against Drew Henry at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.



April 24th 2009. Snooker.

The 18th frame of Stephen Hendry's second round World Championship match against Ding Junhui, was also the 1000th frame he had won at the Crucible, a record for any player. He won the frame with a break of 140 and won the match 13 - 10.



April 24th 2010. Snooker.

John Higgins became the second player to achieve 100 century breaks at the Crucible Theatre in the 18th frame of his second-round match against Steve Davis. His 115 break drew the frame scores level at 9 - 9, but Davis went on to win the match by 13 frames to 11.



April 27th 2012. Snooker.

In the fifth frame of his second round match against Stephen Hendry in the World Championship, John Higgins made a break of 124. It was his 500th century in competitive play, but he lost the match 13 - 4.



April 28th 2008. Snooker.

Having equalled Stephen Hendry's record of eight maximum breaks in competitive play on the 15th December 2007, Ronnie went one better by making one in the final frame of his second round match of the World Championships against Mark Williams.



April 29th 2016. Snooker.

Mark Selby and Marco Fu played the longest frame ever at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, during their semi-final at the World Championship. Their 24th frame lasted 76 minutes and 11 seconds, Selby won that frame to draw level at 12 - 12, and won the match 17 -15.



April 30th 2014. Snooker.

Neil Robertson became the first player to make a hundred competitive century breaks in one season, in his quarter-final match at the World Championship against Judd Trump, his break of 101 came in the 22nd frame. He made another three centuries in the semi-final against Mark Selby, to finish the season with 103 centuries, but lost the match by 17 frames to 15.



April 30th 2016. Snooker.

Alan McManus and Ding Junhui in their World Championship semi-final became the first players to compile 10 centuries in a professional match. Ding Junhui made seven of those to equal the record set by Stephen Hendry in 1994 for the most scored by a professional in a single match.



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May 1st 2011.

Death of "Whispering" Ted Lowe, best known for his commentary of televised snooker. Famous for telling viewers who were watching on black and white televisions that "the pink is next to the green".

He once recalled: "I was scared to death commentating on Joe Davis, who was a God to me. Of course, sitting in the crowd I was terrified they would hear what I had to say, so I started whispering. The producer loved it".



May 2nd 1929. Snooker.

E.J. (Murt) O'Donoghue of Australia became the first player to clear the table from the break. Playing in Aukland, he broke, fluked a red, and took the lot to make a break of 134.



May 3rd 1937. English Billiards.

At 3.15pm the BBC broadcast a 10 minute programme described as being the first televised demonstration of billiards. The two players were Joe Davis and Tom Newman, with Willie Smith as referee, and Charlie Chambers as marker.



May 4th 2009. Snooker.

John Higgins played his 1000th frame at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, during the final of the World Championship against Shaun Murphy. He had to wait until his 1001st frame before winning his third World title by 18 frames to 9.



May 5th 2007. Snooker.

John Higgins scored his 350th competitive century, and the 1000th century to be made at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, during his semi-final World Championship match against Stephen Maguire with a break of 122.



May 5th 2013. Snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan broke Stephen Hendry's record of 127 century breaks at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, in the final of the World Championship. His fifteenth frame break of 103 gave him a total of 128 Crucible centuries, and for good measure he added another, a 106 in the next frame.



May 6th 2013. Snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his fifth World Snooker Championship final by 18 frames to 12 against Barry Hawkins. He also created a record of making six century breaks in the final and became the first defending champion to retain the title since Stephen Hendry in 1996.



May 6th 2019. Snooker.

Judd Trump became the first professional to win over 1 million pounds from prize money in a single season by winning the World Championship final against John Higgins. Had Higgins won then he would have acheived that record, but he had to settle for a joint record with Trump as the eleven centuries they made in the final (Higgins 4, trump 7), was the most ever made in a professional match.



May 9th - 12th 1927. Snooker.

The final of the first World Professional Snooker Championship. Joe Davis beat T.A. Dennis by 20 frames to 11.



May 24th 1875. English Billiards.

John Roberts Junior won the championship for the fourth time by beating William Cook by 163 points in a match of 1000 up, in 3 hours 42 minutes.



May 28th 1877. English Billiards.

John Roberts Junior won the championship for the sixth time by beating William Cook by 221 points in a match of 1000 up, in 2 hours 45 minutes.



May 29th - June 7th 1907. English Billiards.

William Cook made the highest officially recognIsed break of 42,746.



May 30th 1870. English Billiards.

John Roberts Junior won the championship for the second time by beating Alfred Bowles by 241 in a match of 1000 up.



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June 1st 1978. Snooker.

David Taylor (The "Silver Fox") made 3 consecutive century breaks - 130, 140 and 139 (total 409) during an exhibition at Butlins Holiday Centre, Minehead, Somerset.



June 1st - 4th 1885. English Billiards.

John Roberts Junior won the championship for the eighth time by beating Joseph Bennett by 1640 points in a match of 3000 up.



June 3rd 1907. English Billiards.

Tom Reece began his 'Cradle Cannon' break of 499,135. The full story behind this incredible break can be found here.



June 4th 1907. English Billiards.

William Cook (Junior), playing at Thurston's in a two week match against Alec Taylor of 150,000 up, completed the highest official break of 42,746. The break could have been even higher but ended when, to everyone's surprise, he failed to cannon by the slimmest of margins.



June 15th 1823.

Birth of John Roberts Senior. The 'Father' of modern (English) Billiards. He assumed the title of 'Champion' in 1849 after challenging Edwin (or 'Jonathan') Kentfield, who failed to respond. He held the title until February 11th 1870, losing to William Cook.



June 15th 1849. English Billiards.

Birth of William Cook (Senior) at Sandy, Bedfordshire. Winner of the first professional championship held on February 11th 1870.



June 30th 1893.

Death of William Cook (Senior) at the Brompton Consumption Hospital, London.

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