Steve Davis
The snooker player who dominated the 1980s with clinical precision, transforming the game into a major television spectacle and a national obsession.
Born 1957 (age 69)·English snooker player·Birthday: August 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Davis didn't just win snooker matches in the 1980s; he imposed a new order on the game. With his manager Barry Hearn, he approached the green baize with a methodical, almost machine-like focus that overwhelmed opponents and captivated a BBC2-watching public. His six World Championship victories in that decade were exercises in control, turning high-pressure finals into showcases of his unflappable temperament. Dubbed 'Interesting' for his dry persona, Davis became an unlikely but beloved star, his rivalry with Alex Higgins framing a classic clash of styles. His later career revealed unexpected depths: a graceful acceptance of being the butt of a famous comedy sketch, a second act as a sharp television commentator, and a passionate late-life dive into the world of experimental electronic music.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the World Snooker Championship six times during the 1980s, dominating the sport for a decade.
- Held the world number one ranking for seven consecutive seasons from 1983/84 to 1989/90.
- Won 28 ranking titles throughout his career, placing him among the most successful players in the sport's history.
- Won the UK Championship six times and the Masters three times, for a total of 15 Triple Crown titles.
Did You Know?
He is a dedicated fan of progressive rock and krautrock, and performs as an electronic music DJ and musician.
He was the subject of the famous 'Interesting' sketch on the BBC comedy show 'Not the Nine O'Clock News'.
He won the BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' sports relief special in 2014.
He is a published author, having written books on both snooker and his other passion, poker.
“Snooker is a game that's 20 percent technique and 80 percent mental.”
