On This Day: The fight so brutal even Ali wanted it to end

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had already fought each other twice.

Nothing compared with what happened on October 1, 1975.

The Thrilla in Manila

In oppressive heat in the Philippines, two of boxing’s greatest heavyweights met for the third and final time.

Ali was defending his world heavyweight title. Frazier wanted revenge.

What followed was 14 punishing rounds in a fight that became known around the world as the Thrilla in Manila.

By the end, both men were exhausted. Frazier’s eyes were badly swollen and his trainer Eddie Futch refused to allow him out for the 15th round.

Ali was declared the winner.

Years later, the fight remained synonymous with both men, the final instalment of one of sport’s great rivalries.

The gates open at Walt Disney World

Four years earlier, on October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World opened to visitors in Florida.

The centrepiece was the Magic Kingdom, complete with Cinderella Castle, along with two resort hotels.

It was the beginning of something enormous. The Florida resort would expand dramatically over the following decades, becoming a holiday destination for generations of families.

Australian horsemen enter Damascus

On October 1, 1918, Australian Light Horsemen entered Damascus during the final weeks of the First World War campaign in the Middle East.

The capture of the Syrian city came during the rapid Allied advance against Ottoman forces, just weeks before the Ottoman Empire agreed to an armistice.

Born on this day

One of cinema’s most recognisable voices celebrates a milestone today.

Dame Julie Andrews turns 91.

Born on October 1, 1935, Andrews became Mary Poppins in 1964 and Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music the following year.

Her feature-film debut in Mary Poppins earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

And another Hollywood favourite shares the date. Walter Matthau, star of The Odd Couple and later Grumpy Old Men, was born on October 1, 1920.

Do you remember?

Do you remember the Thrilla in Manila? Or perhaps Julie Andrews, Disney and The Sound of Music bring back much happier October 1 memories?