1962 - Born in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Married to Elizabeth-Ann (Doctor with British rowing team), three children. Lives near Marlow. Trains at the Leander Club in Henley on Thames.

1978 - Left school to pursue career in rowing.

1979 - Competed in single sculls at the World Junior Championships.

1980 - Silver medallist in double sculls at the World Junior Rowing Championships.

1981 - Made senior British debut, finishing eighth in World Championships in quadruple scull.

1982 - Sixth in quadruple scull at World Championships.

1984 - Won first Olympic title in Los Angeles in the coxed four having been persuaded to take a break from sculling.

1985 - Finished 12th in the single sculls at World Championships.

1986 - Won first World Championship title in coxed pair. Triple gold medallist in Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in single scull, coxless pair and coxed four.

1987 - Won coxless pair gold medal at World Championships, silver medallist in coxed pair.

1988 - Crowned Olympic champion for second time in Seoul in coxless pair with Andy Holmes, a team-mate from the victorious coxed four in Los Angeles. Also wins bronze in coxed pair.

1989 - Takes silver medal in coxless pair at World Championships with new partner Simon Berrisford, also finishes fifth in coxed pair.

1990 - Bronze medallist at World Championships in coxless pair with Matthew Pinsent, who replaced Berrisford after he suffered a serious back injury.

1991 - Wins World Championships in coxless pair for first time with Pinsent.

1992 - Completes Olympic Games hat-trick with gold in the coxless pair in Barcelona with Matthew Pinsent. The pair triumph despite Redgrave falling ill just a few months before the Games.

1993 - Wins coxless pair at World Championships.

1994 - Retains coxless pair title in World Championships.

1995 - Again crowned world champion in coxless pair.

1996 - Retains Olympic Games coxless pair title with Pinsent in Atlanta, saying he should be shot if ever seen near a boat again. Redgrave also became first British athlete to carry the flag at the opening ceremony in two successive Olympics.

1997 - Wins World Championships in coxless four having, after discussing it with his wife and children, decided to come out of retirement. Also wins FISA World Cup title.

1998 - Retains coxless four title at worlds having learned that he was suffering from late-onset diabetes.

1999 - Completes a hat-trick of World Championship victories in coxless four. Wins FISA World Cup.

2000 - The coxless four win FISA World Cup despite defeat in final meeting, only second time he and Pinsent had been beaten in a major race since 1992.

September: Becomes first athlete in modern era to win golds at five successive Olympics, when he Tim Foster, James Cracknell and Pinsent win the men's coxless fours title in Sydney.

October 1st: "Honoured" to be Britain's flag bearer at Olympic closing ceremony. Tuesday, October 31st: Announces his retirement from rowing.