Short answers, pulled from the story.
Depeche Mode originated in 1977 when Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher formed a band called No Romance in China at Nicholas School in Basildon, Essex. The group evolved into Composition of Sound by 1980 before Dave Gahan joined later that year to complete the four-piece lineup.
The group changed their name to Depeche Mode during a performance at Bridge House on the 24th of September 1980. Martin Gore selected the name from a mistranslation of the French fashion magazine Dépêche Mode which means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch.
Their debut single Dreaming of Me appeared in February 1981 reaching number 57 in the UK charts while the follow-up track New Life climbed to number 11. The band traveled by train carrying their synthesizers to BBC studios for the Top of the Pops broadcast after securing a record deal through Daniel Miller of Mute Records.
Alan Wilder joined in early 1982 after responding to an anonymous ad in Melody Maker although he was 22 years old when hired initially as a touring member. His introduction of Synclavier and E-mu Emulator samplers on the third album Construction Time Again created an eclectic industrial-influenced style similar to Art of Noise and Einstürzende Neubauten.
Dave Gahan suffered a heart attack brought on by drug use during a performance in New Orleans while Martin Gore faced legal trouble when local police arrested him in Denver. Andrew Fletcher experienced a full nervous breakdown during the summer of 1994 leading him to decline participation in the second half of the Exotic Tour.
Andy Fletcher died on the 26th of May 2022 after suffering an aortic dissection while at home. His bandmates Dave Gahan and Martin Gore continued as a duo releasing Memento Mori in 2023 with a supporting tour consisting of 112 shows concluding on the 8th of April 2024.