Ten facts about the Wimbledon win in 1936 and the 2013 victory

Andy Murray became the first Briton in 77 years to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title on Sunday, beating Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the world number one, 6-4 7-5 6-4. The last Briton to win the men’s title at the world’s oldest tennis tournament was Fred Perry in 1936. Following are 10 facts about the win in 1936 and the 2013 victory: - Prize money in 1936 was zero compared to 1.6 million pounds ($2.4 million) in 2013. - Tennis rackets in 1936 were made of laminated wood compared to modern rackets made of graphite, carbon, and titanium. - Strings for tennis rackets in 1936 were made from fibres extracted animal intestines while modern strings are mainly synthetic. [caption id=“attachment_939033” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Andy Murray of Britain poses with the trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic. AP[/caption] - Tennis rackets used to be about 65 square inches (420 square cms) in 1936 compared to 90 square inches currently. - Tennis balls hit by Fred Perry were white while Murray struck ‘optic’ yellow balls introduced in 1972. - In 1936, the first Spitfire aircraft took flight and Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind” was published. - King George V died in 1936, handing the British crown to Edward VIII who abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating 61 years as British monarch in 2013. - The most popular song of the year in 1936 was “Pennies from Heaven” by Bing Crosby while the chart-topping song on Sunday in the UK was “Love Me Again” by John Newman. - Biggest sporting event in 1936 was the Berlin Olympics opened by Adolf Hitler at which Jesse Owen won four gold medals. - Other notable events in 1936 include the industrial manufacture of the first parking metres and the Queen Mary completing her maiden voyage to New York. Reuters