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1902
Eric Liddell was born in Tientsin, north China to Reverend James Dunlop Liddell. His parents were Scottish missionaries with the London Missionary Society, stationed in China at the time he was born. -
1920
Not just a sportsman, Liddell was also a strongly principled Christian, which is why he was selected to speak at the Glasgow Students’ Evangelical Unit. In 1920, he enrolled himself at the University of Edinburgh to pursue Pure Science. -
1921-1923
Liddell was triumphant in various British competitions, winning the shorter sprint distances at the Triangular International Contests from 1921-1923; the competition showcased athletes from Scotland, England and Ireland. -
1922
He became the member of the Scottish national rugby union team and from 1922, played seven Five Nations matches for them. The following year, he won the AAA Championships in athletics in the 100 and 220 yards. -
1924
He was included in the British Olympic squad which was destined for the Olympics in Paris in 1924, and although he was a strong contender in the 100 meters event, due to his religious principles, Liddell refused to run on a Sunday. -
1924-1925
He was only the fourth athlete to have won all three sprints at the SAAA, achieving this accomplishment in 1924 and 1925. These were his final races on the British grounds - he pursued his religious duties after this. -
1925
In 1925, at the Scottish Amateur Athletics Association meeting in Glasgow, he set his Scottish championship record of 10.0 seconds in the 100, won the 220 yard contest in 22.2 seconds and won the 440 yard contest in 47.7. -
1925-1943
Liddell travelled up to China to serve as a missionary from 1925-1943, just the way his parents did. He started his work first in Tianjin and later went to the town of Xiaozhang, Zaoqiang County, Hengshui, Hebei province. -
1928-1930
He competed in races intermittently in China. His wins over the French and Japanese Olympic teams in the 200 and 400 meters at South Manchurian Railway celebrations in China (1928) and a victory at North China championship (1930) are worth mentioning. -
1934
In 1934, after getting ordained a minister of religion, Liddell got married to a Canadian missionary, Florence Mackenzie. The couple had three daughters together - Patricia, Heather and Maureen. -
1945
During the Japanese attack on China, Liddell suffered from a mental breakdown due to an untreatable brain tumour and malnutrition. He died in 1945 in China.