Short answers, pulled from the story.
Canton Ohio was selected because the NFL was founded there on the 17th of September 1920 as the American Professional Football Association. The defunct Canton Bulldogs were the league's first repeat champions in 1922 and 1923. The community also raised nearly $400,000 to fund the facility.
Groundbreaking occurred on the 11th of August 1962 and the facility opened to the public on the 7th of September 1963. The original building contained two rooms and 5,000 square feet of interior space before expansions began.
The largest renovation completed in 2013 brought the total size to 100,000 square feet. This expansion more than doubled the previous size which reached 45,000 square feet after work finished on the 1st of October 1995.
To be eligible a player must have been retired for at least five years while coaches need only one year of retirement. Enshrinees are selected by a 50-person Selection Committee that polls members three times annually.
A special Blue-Ribbon Panel selected 15 new members including Harold Carmichael Jim Covert Bobby Dillon Cliff Harris Winston Hill Alex Karras Donnie Shell Duke Slater Mac Speedie Ed Sprinkle Steve Sabol George Young and Paul Tagliabue. These individuals joined five modern-era players to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NFL.