When was the first Ashes tournament?

The first Ashes series took place in 1882-83. It was a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term "The Ashes" originated from a mock obituary published in a British newspaper after Australia defeated England at The Oval in 1882, stating that English cricket had died and "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." This led to the subsequent series being referred to as the quest to regain the Ashes.