1882
Concept of Ashes accidentally born when, after England suffer their first home loss to Australia at The Oval, the Sporting Times publishes a mock obituary which says the body of English cricket "will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia".
1911/12
Jack Hobbs leads England's batting with 662 runs at 82.75 as they win 4-1 in Australia/
1920/21
Australia record the first Ashes whitewash, winning 5-0 as fast bowler Jack Gregory runs through England's batting
1930
Australia's Don Bradman, cricket's greatest batsman, scores 974 runs - still a world record for any Test series - including four hundreds with a best of 334 at Leeds as the tourists win the Ashes campaign 2-1.
1932/33
England's 'Bodyline' tour of Australia sees skipper Douglas Jardine instruct fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce to bowl at the batsmen's bodies to a packed legside field in a bid to curb Bradman's phenomenal run-scoring. England win 4-1 but even now, 80 years on, the series remains arguably the most controversial in cricket history.
1948
Bradman leads his 'Invincibles' on an unbeaten tour of England but, in his final innings and needing just four for a career Test average of 100, he was bowled for a second-ball duck by England leg-spinner Eric Hollies. Bradman had to settle for an average of 99.94 -- a mark no one else has come near.
1956
Off-spinner Jim Laker carves himself a place in cricket history by taking 19 out of a possible 20 Australian wickets during England's victory at Old Trafford. Laker's 19 for 90 remains a world record Test haul.
1972
Bob Massie enjoys the most stunning Ashes debut of any bowler when, in his very first Test match, the Western Australia swing specialist takes 16 for 137 at Lord's.
1974/75
Australia's Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson herald a new age of aggressive fast bowling -- that culminates in the West Indies' four-man pace attack -- by spearheading a 4-1 Ashes series win over England.
1981
Ian Botham turns the course of this year's Ashes series on its head with a succession of brilliant performances after resigning the England captaincy with the hosts 1-0 down after two Tests. In the third Test at Headingley, England, following on, are all but beaten at 135 for seven when Botham launches a stunning counter-attack in making 149 not out to lay the foundations for an astonishing win.
1989
Australia regain the Ashes 4-0, the first of eight successive series wins over England.
1993
Shane Warne marks his entrance into Ashes cricket with the "ball of the century" when his first delivery of the Old Traford Test pitches outside Mike Gatting's leg-stump and then spins viciously to clip the top of the off bail. Leg-spinner Warne goes on to become one of cricket's greatest bowlers.
2005
England regain the Ashes in a thrilling series that sees them win by just two runs at Edgbaston before Kevin Pietersen's brilliant 158 at The Oval seals the return of the urn.
2006/07
Warne and fellow Australia great Glenn McGrath bow out in style as Australia thrash England 5-0 for only the second whitewash in Ashes history.
2010/11
England win an Ashes series in Australia for the first time in 24 years, triumphing 3-1 as opening batsman Alastair Cook scores 766 runs at an an average of 127.66.
