When the team began in 1878, formed by workers of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. they were called Newton Heath, and only became Manchester United in 1902, after being rescued from bamkruptcy. The team moved to Old Trafford in 1909; the stadium was destroyed by German bombs in 1941, and subsequently rebuilt.

Their first top trophy was an FA Cup win in 1948, under the legendary Matt Busby as manager. This was followed by winning the English league title in 1952. However, disaster struck in 1958, when the plane carrying them home from a match in Belgrade crashed, killing 8 players and ending the careers of two more.

United became the first English team to win the European Cup in 1968, though Matt Busby retired as manager the following year, after a 24 year reign. The side was relegated from the top division in 1974, but came straight back up the next season, and have never left the highest flight since.

Their manager since 1986 has been Alex Ferguson, who has led the team to 23 trophies, including 8 Premier League titles and five FA Cups: in 1999, they won the League, FA Cup and European Cup, an unprecedented treble. United's most recent success was winning the 2004 FA Cup, a trophy they have now won 11 times, more than any other side.

For a fuller history, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Manchester_United