In his professional boxing career Mike Tyson has a great record: 48 fights, 45 wins - 15 of which were by knockout - and three defeats.

But there is much more to the man than simple and deceptive statistics.

1966: Born June 30, Brooklyn, New York.

1978: Aged 12 he is arrested for purse-snatching in Brooklyn.

1979: Taken by trainer Cus D'Amato from reform school.

1982: Various incidents in high school lead to his expulsion.

1984: Jim Jacobs takes over as his manager after D'Amato dies. Tyson just misses out on a place in the United States Olympic team.

1985: Starts professional career with first-round knockout of Hector Mercedes.

1986: At the age of 20 years and 144 days he becomes the youngest ever heavyweight champion by knocking out Trevor Berbick in second round to win WBC title.

1987: Tyson is charged with assault but settles out of court. It was alleged that he hit a parking attendant. The man said he tried to intervene when Tyson attempted to kiss a woman employee.

Beats James 'Bonecrusher' Smith with a unanimous decision and becomes WBA heavyweight champion. When he gets the decision over IBF title holder Tony Tucker, Tyson becomes undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

8 February 1988: Marries actress Robin Givens.

1988: Ms Givens and her family accuse Tyson of violence. She and her mother demand access to Tyson's money for a down-payment on a $3m New Jersey home.

Tyson sues manager Bill Cayton to break their contract and settles out of court.

He breaks his right hand in a street brawl in the early hours of the morning with former opponent Mitch Green.

Tyson is knocked unconscious after driving his car into a tree in driveway of former mentor Cus D'Amato's home. The New York Daily News reports the incident as an attempted suicide caused by a chemical imbalance that made him violent and irrational.

On American television Ms Givens says he is manic-depressive and that their marriage has been hell. Tyson sits passively beside her.

Police called to Tyson's home after he throws furniture out of the window and forces Givens and her mother to flee the house.

Givens sues for divorce. Tyson counter-sues in a a year of litigation for the boxer.

1989: Tyson and Givens granted divorce in Dominican Republic. Tyson is accused of slapping a parking attendant outside Los Angeles nightclub but the charges are later dropped.

Fined $200 and sentenced to community service for speeding.

1990: In a huge upset he is knocked out by James 'Buster' Douglas in 10th round in Tokyo and so loses the world heavyweight title.

Sued by Phyllis Polaner, former aide to Givens, for sexual assault and harassment.

New York City civil jury finds Tyson committed battery against Sandra Miller. She is awarded a nominal amount in damages on the grounds that Tyson's behaviour was "not outrageous".

1991: Admits paternity of eight-month-old girl born to Kimberly Scarborough.

Meets Desiree Washington, a 18-year-old Miss Black America contestant, who accuses him of raping her. Tyson is Indicted by Indianapolis special grand jury on rape and three other charges.

Natalie Fears files $8m palimony and paternity lawsuit against Tyson.

1992: Blood test shows Tyson is not father of Natalie Fears's son.

He is convicted on rape and other charges and jailed for six years.

1993: Fails high school diploma examination which would have shortened his sentence.

1995: After serving half of his six-year jail term he is released.

19 August 1995: Wins comeback fight against Peter McNeeley in 89 seconds in Las Vegas after McNeeley is disqualified.

16 December 1995: Beats Buster Mathis Jnr in Philadelphia with third-round knockout.

1996: Beaten by Evander Holyfield - losing WBA and WBC titles regained in 1995.

Regains WBC heavyweight title with third-round stoppage of Frank Bruno in Las Vegas. Retakes WBA title on 7 September by beating Bruce Seldon with first-round knockout but two weeks later he relinquishes WBC title to avoid facing Lennox Lewis.

9 November 1996: Defends WBA title against Evander Holyfield but is beaten again in the 11th round.

28 June 1997: Fights Holyfield for WBA title. Tyson is disqualified in the third round for biting his opponent's ears. He is fined $3m and the Nevada Athletic Commission revokes his licence. He also suffers broken ribs in a motorcycling accident in Connecticut.

August 1998: Alleged to have punched and kicked two motorists after traffic accident in Maryland.

August 1998: Application to the New Jersey Athletic Commission for a licence fails after he swears at one of the board members during his hearing.

19 October 1998: Tyson tells the Nevada Athletic Commission that without a licence he is '"tortured" but that he is "not a mass murderer". He is granted a new licence by a vote of four to one.

16 January 1999: The boxer ends 19 months of inactivity with a fifth-round knockout of South African Francois Botha in Las Vegas.

6 February 1999: Tyson is jailed for a year for his 'road rage' attack on two motorists.

20 February: Throws television across prison room, earning himself 25 days in solitary confinement.

24 May 1999: Tyson is released from prison on parole, after serving less than a third of his one-year sentence.