The Millennium

- The new venue becomes a giant concert arena for a New Year's Eve Millennium extravaganza as the Manic Street Preachers see in revellers with a 'Manic Millennium' under the Stadium's now infamous sliding roof

- France defeat Wales in the opening Six Nations match to be played at the venue in February 2000

- The Millennium Stadium hosts its first FAW International Football matches in the summer of 2000, Jari Litmanen of Finland scores the first goal at the venue, with Ryan Giggs providing the first Welsh goal in a 2-1 friendly defeat for Wales

- The Motor Show in July 2000 sees the Millennium Stadium host its first exhibition on the bowl's surface

- The World Cup returns to the Millennium Stadium in November 2000 only this time of the Rugby League variety as Wales host New Zealand in a pool match

- The Football League Cup Final, LDV Vans Trophy, FA Cup Final and FA Community Shield come to the Stadium in 2001; Liverpool beat Birmingham on penalties in February in the Worthington Cup Final, the first of the English football showpiece matches to be staged

- The FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool follows in May as the first FA Cup Final to be played in Cardiff, and confirming its status as a World Class venue the Stadium achieves a 5 Star UEFA rating, the Football League play-offs follow for the first time in June

- Millennium Stadium reduces the rugby code by eight players to stage the Wales leg of the IRB Sevens Series in June 2001

- British Speedway brings motorsport to the Millennium Stadium's multi-purpose capabilities also in June 2001 by staging the Grand Prix

- The FA Community Shield of 2001 between Manchester United and Liverpool becomes the first football match played under a closed roof in the UK

- Wales and Australia play the world's first indoor rugby match when the roof is closed for their Autumn international clash in November 2001

- Leicester and Munster contest the first Heineken Cup Final to be played at the Millennium Stadium in May 2002, Munster lose to Leicester but return victorious in two further Millennium Stadium finals against Biarritz Olympique in 2006 and Toulouse in 2008

- The world's first indoor cricket match is played as Britain take on a 'Rest of the World' team in Power Cricket

- Munster return to the Millennium Stadium to win the second Celtic League Final against Neath in February 2003

- The Rugby League Challenge Cup Final is hosted for the first time in April 2003, Bradford Bulls defeat Leeds Rhinos

- Manchester City and Kevin Keegan take on TNS as a UEFA Cup qualification play-off match is staged at the venue in August 2003

- The Stadium hosts its first competitive Football International play-off match in November 2003 between Wales and Russia for the following summer's UEFA Euro 2004 tournament

- New Year's Eve 2003, the venue becomes a giant dance floor for its first Stadium School Party Night

- Millennium Stadium's football pedigree continues to grow with a continental friendly between Barcelona and Parma in August 2004; Ronaldinho (later 2004 FIFA Player of nthe Year), Henrik Larsson, Luis Garcia and Andrés Iniesta are amongst the Catalan talent on display

- In January 2005 Tsunami Relief Cardiff sees the Millennium Stadium put on a marathon Live Aid-style music extravaganza to raise money for the victims of the disaster

- Wales celebrates its first Grand Slam in 27 years when defeating Ireland in the final match of the 2005 season's RBS Six Nations, the feat is repeated in 2008 when Wales defeat France, also in the final match of the tournament

- The British & Irish Lions play their first 'home' match at the venue in 2005 drawing with Argentina as a 'farewell' to the fans before departing for their tour of New Zealand

- A new partition-drape system allows Millennium Stadium to host an arena-style concert with REM in the summer of 2005

- Developing the motorsport fuctionality of the Millennium Stadium on the back of Speedway and Supercross a Millennium Stadium stage of Wales Rally GB in the World Rally Championships takes place in December 2005; the venue also hosts the finish that year

- The 125th FA Cup Final in 2006 - a classic 3-3 and penalties between Liverpool and West Ham Utd - is the sixth and last FA Cup Final the Millennium Stadium hosts; the seventh and last Football League (Carling) Cup Final is hosted in 2007

- The Rugby World Cup returns to the venue in 2007 with Wales's pool matches and a classic quarter-final encounter between New Zealand and France

- Joe Calzaghe is victorious against Mikkel Kessler in a unification World Championship boxing title superfight in October of that year

- Express Eventing in 2008 adds an equestrian flavour to the Millennium Stadium's sporting CV

- The Millennium Stadium becomes the scene of the world's first rugby union penalty shoot-out after Cardiff Blues and Leicester Tigers end extra-time of their Heineken Cup semi-final deadlocked

Enter the Millennium Stadium and RWC 1999

- With construction work still to be done, a three-quarters complete Millennium Stadium hosts its very first match in June 1999 and Wales record their first-ever win over South Africa. Mark Taylor scores the opening try at the new venue

- After several warm-up matches, the Millennium Stadium hosts the opening ceremony of Rugby World Cup 1999, plus pool matches, a quarter-final, the third-fourth place play-off, closing ceremony and Final

- The retractable roof is shown off in all its glory by sliding open during the opening ceremony of the World Cup

1990-1997

- The Rugby World Cup comes to the Cardiff Arms Park in 1991; Wales fail to reach the quarter finals
- Ian Rush scores the only goal in a famous 1-0 victory over the then World Champions West Germany 
- Cardiff Arms Park hosts concerts including Tina Turner
- Boxing title fights come to the venue in the form of Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno in 1993
- SWALEC Cup Final is the very last game at Wales’s National Ground in 1997
- Redevelopment begins for the Millennium Stadium in September 1997 after auctioning of parts of the old National Stadium

1980-1989

- Great XVs from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia still draw big crowds
- Paul Thorburn establishes a world record for a penalty goal kick of 70 yards and 8.5 inches in 1988
- From 1989, Cardiff Arms Park becomes ‘home’ to Wales’s soccer stars

1970-1979

- The National Ground, Cardiff Arms Park wholly reconstructed during the 1970s
- The Welsh ‘Golden Era’ – John Dawes, Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Mervyn Davies, Gerald Davies, JPR Williams and Phil Bennett are superstars

1960-1969

- Keith Jarrett’s arrival on the international scene when he scored one of the most audacious and spectacular tries witnessed at Cardiff in 1967

1950-1959

- First Grand Slam victory by Wales for 39 years in 1950
- New Zealand lose twice in 1953 but have beaten Wales there ever time since 1951
- South stand opens in 1956 ready for the 1958 Empire Games with standing room for another 47,000 spectators

1900-1949

- Teddy Morgan’s solitary try in December 1905 inflicted defeat upon the first All Blacks
- World champion status is conferred upon Wales
- Cardiff beat South Africa - New Years Day 1907
- New North Stand is opened but wrecked by a land mine dropped by the Luftwaffe in 1941

1800-1900

- Lord Bute donates the Park to the people of Cardiff
- Cricket is played from 1848
- Cardiff Rugby Club is formed in 1876
- First victory for Wales over Ireland in 1884
- Grand Stand opens 1885
- Grand Stand extension completed in 1890
- New pavilion opened for changing, indoor exercise and social functions