Shane Warne © Getty Images

1969: Born September 13, Melbourne

1992: January - Makes Test debut against India in January. In two Tests against India his overall figures were 1-228.

August - Returns for tour of Sri Lanka. Takes 3-11 from 5.1 overs in the second innings of the first Test.

1993: Takes 7-52 against West Indies in Melbourne.

Bags 17 wickets in three Tests against New Zealand.

Bowls Mike Gatting with his first ball in a Test in England at Old Trafford in June. It pitches outside leg stump but rips across the England batsman.

1994: Leading wicket-taker again in all three series he plays in, rounding off the campaign with a hat-trick against England in Melbourne.

1996: After receiving treatment on his shoulder, he requires surgery of his major spinning finger causing him to miss a short tour of India.

1997: Takes 24 wickets and scores 188 runs as Australia hit back from the disappointment of losing the first Test to retain the Ashes in England.

1999: Man of the match in Australia's World Cup final victory over Pakistan at Lord's.

2000: Becomes Australia's highest-ever Test wicket-taker by passing Dennis Lillee's milestone of 355 while on tour in New Zealand.

Named as one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Century.

2001: Claims 31 wickets as Australia retain the Ashes with a 4-1 series win over England, taking 11-229 in the final Test at the Oval. Becomes only the sixth bowler to take more than 400 wickets in the process.

2002: Named man of the series as he claims 27 wickets as Australia record a 3-0 win in Pakistan. Takes his tally to 477 Test wickets by easily beating the Australian record for most wickets in a three-Test series, previously held by Lillee and Benaud with 23.

Takes 14 wickets in the first three Tests of Australia's 4-1 Ashes series win over England, but misses the last two after suffering a dislocated shoulder in a one-day international on December 15.

2003: January 22 - Announces plans to retire from one-day internationals after following month's World Cup.

February 22 - Handed a 12-month ban, dated from February 10, by the Australian Cricket Board's anti-doping after testing positive for the banned substances hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride.

2004: February 10 - Makes his comeback for the Victoria second XI against Queensland Academy of Sport.

February 20 - Recalled to Australia's Test squad to tour Sri Lanka.

March 12 - Having already taken five first-innings wickets, claims another five on the final day of the first Test in Galle to reach 501 Test wickets as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 197 runs. He is only the second player in history after Courtney Walsh to take 500 Test wickets.

May - Overtaken in list of leading Test wicket-takers by Muttiah Muralitharan, who goes on to claim Courtney Walsh's world record.

October 15 - Overtakes Muralitharan by making Irfan Pathan his 533rd Test victim.

November - Breaks thumb and misses fourth Test in India.

2005: February - Flies out to Sri Lanka, answering Murali's plea, to help in the Tsunami relief effort.

March - Signs new two-year contract with Hampshire.

May - Hits maiden first-class hundred against Kent in the County Championship.

June - A joint statement with wife Simone announces the split of their marriage after 10 years.

July - Axed from his £130,000-a-year contract with Australian broadcasters Channel 9 for off-field behaviour.

July 24 - Takes six wickets in the opening Ashes clash of the summer, taking the final catch in a 239-run win.

July 5 - Produces an extraordinary ball to dismiss Andrew Strauss behind his legs as the opener shouldered arms.

July 6 - Takes his 600th Test wicket when he removes Marcus Trescothick in the third Test at Old Trafford.

September: Finishes the series with 40 wickets, but it was not enough to prevent England reclaiming the Ashes.

2006: November - Australia comfortably win the first Ashes Test in Brisbane as Warne returns match figures of 4-149.

December 5 - Warne’s 4-49 wrecks England’s second innings in the second Test at Adelaide, paving the way for the hosts to claim an unlikely victory on the final day.

December 18 - Takes his Test-wicket haul to 699 after claiming five victims in the third Test victory over England in Perth.

December 21 - Announces his decision to retire from international cricket at the end of the series.

December 26 - Becomes the first bowler to take 700 wickets in Tests when he bowls Andrew Strauss on the opening day of the fourth Test on his home ground, the MCG. Returns figures of 5-39 in England's first innings.

2007: January 3 - Takes 1,000th wicket in international cricket when he traps Monty Panesar leg before in the final Ashes Test in Sydney.

January 5 - Brings the curtain down on a truly great Test career as Australia complete a 5-0 Ashes whitewash with a resounding 10-wicket win over England in Sydney.

December - Accepts 'Leadership in Cricket' role with Cricket Australia late in 2007, with a brief to help mentor younger players.

2008: March 27 - Announces his retirement from first-class cricket, having taken 276 wickets and scored 2,040 runs for Hampshire.