On July 5, 1975, American tennis star Arthur Ashe became the first Black man to win Wimbledon, defeating defending champion Jimmy Connors. Ashe also won the U.S. Open in 1968, and off the court, he was known for his political activism. He was a supporter of ending apartheid in South Africa and rallied against U.S. treatment of Haitian refugees and started several charities for AIDS research. He retired from the sport in 1980 after suffering a heart attack one year earlier.

In 1993, Ashe announced he had contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion he received during his heart surgery operation in 1983. Ashe passed away on Feb. 6, 1993 at the age of 46, leaving behind an enduring sports legacy and commitment to charity and human rights.

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 (Photo: David Ashdown/Keystone/Getty Images)