On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe made history as the first Black man to win Wimbledon, defeating defending champion Jimmy Connors. Ashe had earlier claimed victory at the U.S. Open in 1968.
Off the court, he distinguished himself as a vocal activist, advocating for the end of apartheid in South Africa and protesting the treatment of Haitian refugees in the United States. Ashe also founded multiple charities focused on AIDS research.
His tennis career ended abruptly in 1980 following a heart attack he suffered the year before. In 1993, Ashe publicly revealed that he had contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during his heart surgery in 1983.
He passed away on February 6, 1993, at 46, leaving a lasting legacy in sports, activism, and humanitarianism.
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