History of Shorts

We are wearing shorts in Miami a lot. But what is the history behind them? Perhaps the tradition came from sport activities.
Sports in 1920s made an influence on bathing costumes. Tennis players worn the summer clothes of this period. In April 1931, Senorita de Alvarez played tennis in divided skirts which came to slightly below the knee, and two years later Alice Marble of San Francisco appeared in shorts above the knee.
And Mrs. Fearnley-Whittingstall appeared at Wimbledon without stockings. This uproar by public, but was soon adopted by majority of women-players.
Cycling, although contributed to the fact that young women adopted shorts, sometimes so short that opposition made expressions when English cycling clubs went abroad.