'81
THE BASEBALL SEASON WAS MARRED BY A 50-DAY STRIKE -- OVER the
issue of free agency compensation -- which ended on July 31. When
play resumed, Houston's Nolan Ryan pitched a record fifth no-hitter,
and the Dodgers beat the Yankees in a six-game World Series.
Memorable moments: Richard Petty won his seventh Daytona 500; Susan
Brown of Oxford was the first woman in the Oxford-Cambridge boat
race; Muhammad Ali lost the final fight of his career, to Trevor
Berbick; former champ Joe Louis died at 66.