Steve Davis made the first officially recognised maximum break in professional competition.
Davis compiled the 147 during the 1982 Lada Classic in Oldham, England. He made it against John Spencer, and the break became the first officially recognised maximum in professional snooker. The achievement helped make the 147 a major benchmark for elite players and television audiences.
A maximum break demands fifteen reds, fifteen blacks and the six colours in order. Davis’s 1982 break was completed in 198 minutes, a reminder that the achievement is about maintaining concentration and position for a long sequence rather than simply potting difficult balls.
Earlier breaks have sometimes been discussed in connection with maximums, but recognition depends on the event’s status, available records and the governing standards used at the time. Cliff Thorburn made the first televised 147 at the 1983 World Championship, and that milestone is often mistakenly given as the first professional maximum. The two records are different: Davis’s came first in professional competition, while Thorburn’s was the first televised maximum.