Short answers, pulled from the story.
The inaugural Wimbledon Championship started on the 9th of July 1877. The Gentlemen's Singles was the only event held, and Spencer Gore defeated William Marshall 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in 48 minutes in the final on the 19th of July 1877.
Wimbledon has used grass since its founding in 1877, making it the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The US Open abandoned grass in 1975 and the Australian Open in 1988, both switching to hard courts. Wimbledon retained the traditional surface and since 2001 has used 100% perennial ryegrass for improved durability.
Slazenger has supplied all tennis balls for the Wimbledon Championships since 1902, making it the longest-running sponsorship in sports history.
The 2020 Wimbledon Championships were cancelled on the 1st of April 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, marking the first cancellation since World War II. The All England Club received an insurance payment of £114 million after estimated losses of around £250 million; the club had been paying an annual premium of £1.61 million for pandemic cancellation cover since before the 2003 tournament.
Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles in 2023, entering ranked 42nd in the world. Previously, the lowest seeded female champion was Venus Williams, who won in 2007 as the 23rd seed.
All Wimbledon matches must finish before 11:00 pm, a condition in place since 2009 when Centre Court received its retractable roof. The local Merton Council attached the curfew as a planning condition when granting permission for the roof, to protect nearby residents from late-night disturbances.