The All England Open Badminton Championships were first held in 1899.
The inaugural event took place at the London Scottish Rifles’ drill hall in Buckingham Gate, London. It initially featured men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles; singles competitions were added in the following year.
The tournament became one of badminton’s most prestigious events and was long regarded as the sport’s unofficial world championship before the formal BWF World Championships began in 1977.
The name can cause confusion because the tournament is held in England but has always attracted international competitors. It is an open championship, not a competition restricted to English players or national teams.