First modern Olympic Games - Apr 06, 1896 - HISTORY.com First modern Olympic Games Publisher A+E Networks On April 6, 1896, the Olympic Games, a long-lost tradition of ancient Greece, are reborn in Athens 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. At the opening of the Athens Games, King Georgios I of Greece and a crowd of 60,000 spectators welcomed athletes from 13 nations to the international competition. The first recorded Olympic Games were held at Olympia in the Greek city-state of Elis in 776 B.C., but it is generally accepted that the Olympics were at least 500 years old at that time. The ancient Olympics, held every four years, occurred during a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus. In the eighth century B.C., contestants came from a dozen or more Greek cities, and by the fifth century B.C. from as many as 100 cities from throughout the Greek empire. Initially, Olympic competition was limited to foot races, but later a number of other events were added, including wrestling, boxing, horse and chariot racing, and military competitions.

The pentathlon, introduced in 708 B.C., consisted of a foot race, the long jump, discus and javelin throws, and wrestling. With the rise of Rome, the Olympics declined, and in 393 A.D. the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games as part of his efforts to suppress paganism in the Roman Empire. With the Renaissance, Europe began a long fascination with ancient Greek culture, and in the 18th and 19th centuries some nations staged informal sporting and folkloric festivals bearing the name “Olympic Games.” However, it was not until 1892 that a young French baron, Pierre de Coubertin, seriously proposed reviving the Olympics as a major international competition that would occur every four years. At a conference on international sport in Paris in June 1894, Coubertin again raised the idea, and the 79 delegates from nine countries unanimously approved his proposal. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was formed, and the first Games were planned for 1896 in Athens, the capital of Greece.

In Athens, 280 participants from 13 nations competed in 43 events, covering track-and-field, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, shooting, and tennis. All the competitors were men, and a few of the entrants were tourists who stumbled upon the Games and were allowed to sign up. The track-and-field events were held at the Panathenaic Stadium, which was originally built in 330 B.C. and restored for the 1896 Games. Americans won nine out of 12 of these events. The 1896 Olympics also featured the first marathon competition, which followed the 25-mile route run by a Greek soldier who brought news of a victory over the Persians from Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. In 1924, the marathon was standardized at 26 miles and 385 yards. Appropriately, a Greek, Spyridon Louis, won the first marathon at the 1896 Athens Games.

Pierre de Coubertin became IOC president in 1896 and guided the Olympic Games through its difficult early years, when it lacked much popular support and was overshadowed by world’s fairs. In 1924, the first truly successful Olympic Games were held in Paris, involving more than 3,000 athletes, including more than 100 women, from 44 nations. The first Winter Olympic Games were also held that year. In 1925, Coubertin retired. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the foremost international sports competition. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, more than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries competed, including nearly 4,000 women. In 2004, the Summer Olympics returned to Athens, with more than 11,000 athletes competing from 202 countries. In a proud moment for Greeks and an exciting one for spectators, the shotput competition was held at the site of the classical Games in Olympia.

Related Videos Origin and History of the Olympic Games | Go for the Gold Student Activity | Scholastic.com Origin and History of the Olympic Games Origin and History of the Olympic Games From Grolier Online’s New Book of Knowledge The Rise of the Games The Olympic Games originated long ago in ancient Greece. Exactly when the Games were first held and what circumstances led to their creation is uncertain. We do know, however, that the Games were a direct outgrowth of the values and beliefs of Greek society. The Greeks idealized physical fitness and mental discipline, and they believed that excellence in those areas honored Zeus, the greatest of all their gods. One legend about the origin of the Olympic Games revolves around Zeus. It was said Zeus once fought his father, Kronos, for control of the world. They battled atop a mountain that overlooked a valley in southwestern Greece. After Zeus defeated his father, a temple and immense statue were built in the valley below to honor him. This valley was called Olympia, and soon religious festivals developed there as people came to worship Zeus and to approach as nearly as possible his great strength. It is believed that these religious festivals eventually led to the famed Games of the Olympics.

Although we do not know just when the Games were first played, the earliest recorded Olympic competition occurred in 776 B.C. It had only one event, the one-stade (approximately 630-foot or 192-meter) race, which was won by a cook named Coroebus. This was the start of the first Olympiad, the four-year period by which the Greeks recorded their history. Athletic competition became so important to the Greeks that the Olympic festivals were a peaceful influence on the warlike city-states. Sparta was famous for the strict military training of its citizens. But it would wait until the Games were over before sending fighters into battle. Other cities followed this example. For the first 13 Olympic Games, the only event was the one-stade run. But over the years, new sports were added to the Games. The hoplitodrome, for instance, was a footrace the athletes ran wearing full armor. The pentathlon, in which the athletes competed in five events (jumping, javelin, sprint, discus, and wrestling) was added to the Games in 708 B.C. The pancration was introduced in 648 B.C.

This brutal sport had no rules and combined boxing and wrestling. A winner was named only when one man raised his hand in defeat or lay unconscious on the ground. In addition to the pre-existing religious shrines and altars, a vast complex of buildings and structures was constructed at Olympia to accommodate the growing number of sports and athletes. Chariot races, first run in 680 B.C. , were held in the hippodrome. Boxers and wrestlers trained in the Palaestra, which was adjacent to the gymnasium. The Leonidaion housed the athletes. Generally, only freeborn men and boys could take part in the Olympic Games (servants and slaves were allowed to participate only in the horse races). Women were forbidden, on penalty of death, even to see the Games. In 396 B.C. , however, a woman from Rhodes successfully defied the death penalty. When her husband died, she continued the training of their son, a boxer. She attended the Games disguised as a man and was not recognized until she shouted with joy over her son's victory. Her life was spared because of the special circumstances and the fact that her father and brothers had been Olympians.

At first, the Games were strictly for Greek citizens. Eventually, however, athletes from all over the Roman Empire (which covered the entire Mediterranean region) were permitted to participate. All athletes were required to take an oath that they would observe all the rules and standards. In spite of the luxurious facilities offered to athletes, all had to remain amateurs. That is, they had to pay their own expenses, and they could receive no monetary awards. Winners of the Games were crowned with wreaths of olive leaves and hailed as heroes. They were showered with material gifts, and sometimes a special entrance was cut in the wall surrounding their home city just for them to pass through &#151; a symbol that the people of the city felt well protected with an Olympic champion living among them. Perhaps the greatest athlete of the ancient Games was Milo of Croton, a wrestler who lived in the 500's B.C. He won the wrestling crown six times, and he was said to be so powerful that he could carry a full-grown bull on his shoulders. The ancient Olympic Games also honored, and inspired, artists. The poet Pindar wrote many odes in praise of the Games' winners.

The Olympic buildings were prime examples of the beauty of Greek architecture, and the remains of Zeus' great statue bear the signature of the famous Athenian sculptor and architect Phidias. Like the athletic champions, artistic champions were awarded olive wreaths and great acclaim. The Decline of the Games After Rome conquered Greece in the 100's B.C. , Olympic standards began to decline. Competition for the common good was ignored by the glory hunters, who were willing to use any trick or deceit to win. For instance, in A.D. 67 the emperor Nero brought his own cheering section and competed in events himself. Even though he fell from his chariot during the race, he was named the champion. In A.D. 394 the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian who considered the Games a pagan festival, ordered them stopped. Olympia then began to crumble. The great statue of Zeus was taken away to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in a fire. In 426, Roman emperor Theodosius II ordered all the temples destroyed. Earthquakes later helped finish what human hands had started, as well as flooding caused by a change in the course of the river that flowed through Olympia.

The once-great city was eventually buried. In 1829, German archaeologists began uncovering Olympia. Today, the site of the ancient Olympic Games is only a shadow of its former glory. Many of the building foundations remain, but few walls and pillars still stand, and the stadium where footraces were held long ago is now just a broad stretch of barren ground. Pen and ink drawing of Procession of Athletes (Photo: © Library of Congress/Alfred Laurens Brennan) Vocabulary Accommodate: to provide or do a favor for Archaeologist: person who studies past human life and culture by finding and looking at remains like graves, buildings, and pottery. Defy: to oppose or challenge Freeborn: born free and not as a slave Idealize: to regard something as absolute perfection Immense: huge Wreath: a ring of flowers or leaves which can be worn on the head or hung as decoration The Birth of the Modern Olympic Games - Google Arts & Culture The Birth of the Modern Olympic Games Athens, April 6 - 15, 1896 The Story of the Ancient Games in the Modern World This year marks the 120th anniversary of the first international Olympic games.

Held on April 6-15, 1896 in Athens, Greece - birthplace of the ancient Olympiad - the inauguration of the modern games was a great milestone in international sports culture and cooperation. The modern Olympic games were based on the ancient Greek Olympiad which is documented as far back as 776 BCE. For 1000 years, the ancient games were held at Olympia in honor of Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek mythology. 1896 Athens Games: Starting line at the first 100 meter race of the modern games held in the Panathenaic Stadium, Athens, Greece. Panoramic view of the Panathenaic Stadium, Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο today. Built ca. 566 BC; rebuilt in marble 329 BCC, and last renovated 2000–2004 for the 2004 Summer Games. The organizers, athletes, and spectators of the 1896 Athens games would certainly be astonished by the development of the Olympic movement since that time.

In the 2012 London Summer Games alone, 10,768 athletes (5,992 men, 4,776 women) from 204 countries participated. A total of 302 events were held in 26 sports. Women's Taikwondo Competition at the London 2012 Summer Games Olympian Javier Gómez Noya of Spain competes in the triathlon of the London 2012 Summer Games. He achieved the silver medal. Compared to the 2012 games, the 1896 games were certainly smaller in scale, but no less significant. 241 male athletes representing their respective countries gathered to compete in 43 events in 9 sports: Track & Field events, Cycling, Fencing, Golf, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Weightlifting, and Wrestling. Starting line of the 12-hour cycling race at the inaugural Olympic Games, Athens,1896.

In an age before air travel, 241 athletes made their way to Greece by land and sea from 14 countries: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States of America. Athletes from the Irish-American Athletic Club, 1896. An Ancient Venue for New Games With the exception of the Marathon, the ceremonies and sporting events took place in Athens' Panathinaiko Stadium (or Panathenaic Stadium) before a crowd of 80,000 spectators. Panathenaic Stadium filled to capacity at the Athens 1896 Games View of the Panathenaic Stadium at Twilight Races were held on the track, but its sharp curves kept runners from achieving record-breaking times. Also called the Kallimármaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο), meaning "beautifully marbled”, the Panathinaiko was built in 329 BCE from Pentelic marble, famous for its brilliant golden hue, from quarries at the Pentelikon mountains northeast of Athens. The stadium was built on the site of an older wooden structure.

View of the stands constructed of golden-hued marble. Marble stairway at the Panathenaic Stadium More than 2,000 years later, the wealthy Greek benefactor Evangelos Zappas, paid for the stadium’s excavation and restoration for the purpose of holding a national Olympic games from 1859 to 1888. These games set an important precedent for the inaugural Olympics of 1896 and further improvements to the stadium. The remarkable site was captured in 3D-like images viewed through a stereoscope. This photographic technology - along with international journalists' photos and illustrations - helped to bring the first modern games to a wider global audience. Pair of stereoscopic photographs - an early form of "3D imagery" - of the Panathenaic Stadium from 1897. Stereoscope, 1895 (collection: Frederick Douglass Historic Site, US National Park Service) Visionaries Behind the Olympic Movement Many people shared the vision of reviving the Olympiad in the modern age. As early as 1850, British physician Dr. William Penny Brookes staged the Wenlock Olympian Games - a local games held in the tiny English town Much Wenlock.

View of the town of Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England - home of the Wenlock Olympic Games These games, in turn, influenced a young French aristocrat, athlete and educator named Pierre de Coubertin (1863 - 1937). Coubertin was interested in the success of Victorian England’s sports culture, convinced that competitive athletics developed moral and social values such as camaraderie, a sense of fair play, and national pride, while also fostering a sense of brotherhood and peaceful competition among nations. Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin, circa 1930s In 1894 he founded the first International Olympic Committee [IOC] which appointed its first president, Demetrius Vikelas, from Greece. Members of the First International Olympic Committee. The first IOC President Demetrius Vikelas is seated at the center, to his right sits Olympic founder Pierre De Coubertin. The organizing body unanimously decided to hold the inaugural games in Greece, Vikelas’ home country and the birthplace of the Olympics. The ancient games are documented as far back as 776 BCE.

Coubertin envisioned that the host city would rotate every four years in order to internationalize the games further. After the first modern Olympics in 1896, the games returned to Athens only on their 100th anniversary in 2004. Symbols and Ceremony Throughout his life, Coubertin devoted himself to laying the foundations of the modern games. His vision is evident in nearly every aspect of the modern Olympiad: from the formalities of the opening and closing ceremonies, to the rules and regulations of competition, to the design of the Olympic symbol and medals. Coubertin Sets the Stage in Athens The inauguration of the first international games took place in the Panathenaic Stadium in the heart of Athens on April 5, 1896. King George I of Greece (1863-1913) presided over the opening and closing ceremonies before 80,000 spectators. The first opening ceremony of the modern games took place in Athens on April 5, 1896. He also awarded the winner of the game's final event - the Marathon.

In a poignant twist of fate for the host nation, the victor of this ancient foot race was a Greek man named Spiridon "Spyros" Louis. Working as a water carrier in the countryside, Louis didn’t come to the games as a professional athlete. But he left a national hero and historic figure! Athens 1896 closing ceremonies. Winner Spyridon "Spiros" Louis after receiving his olive branch, medal and diploma for winning the Marathon. André Castaigne's illustration of the crowd as marathon winner Spirydon Louis arrives in the stadium. The first medalist of the modern games was the American athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump on the first day of the Games, reaching 13.71 meters. He led the U.S. team to 11 first-place medals in total, the highest among the 14 participating nations. Greece won the most medals overall (46). Yet, gymnastics was almost completely dominated by the Germans who took home 8 of 11 medals. German gymnast Herman Weingartner performing the Iron Cross maneuver on the rings, Athens, 1896.

Weingartner competing in the gymnastics bar event, Athens, 1896. He took first place in the event. In the 1896 and 1900 games, only first-place and second-place winners were awarded medals. The events took place in the stadium’s open-air infield under the intense Athen’s sun. The first-place winner received a silver medal, an olive branch, and a diploma from King George of Greece. Today, each host country designs its own medals. The medals for the Summer Games, however, must include a representation of Nike, with the Panathenaic Stadium on the back of the medal. Spanish Olympian Thaïs Henríquez holding her bronze medal from the London 2012 Summer Games. The medal bears the image of Nike (goddess of victory) shown against Athen’s ancient Panathenaic Stadium. The Goddess Nike flies before the Panathenaic Stadium on the Medal from the London 2012 Summer Games The Five Famous Rings Today, most people would have little trouble identifying an image of five interlocking, colored rings against a white background.

Each ring represents one of the five continents, and the colors blue, yellow, green, red, black and white (of the background) form the color combination of every national flag. The Olympic Flag, designed in 1912 by Pierre de Coubertin The Olympic rings are amongst the most instantly recognizable and enduring symbols in the world. Yet, they did not appear until 16 years after the Athens games when Pierre de Coubertin sketched the motif in the header of a letter to a member of the IOC in 1912. He later asked the Parisian department store Bon Marché to sew the first Olympic flag, which has flown ever since. A Long Race to Equality In the ancient Olympiad, participation was restricted to free, male citizens of Greece. This meant that slaves, foreign residents, and women were excluded from competition. Like the ancient games, the 1896 Athens games were not open to women athletes. At the Paris 1900 games, however, women joined the competition, but only two events were open to them: tennis and golf.

Charlotte Cooper, a Australian tennis player, won the first two women's gold medals of the modern Games with victories in the ladies’ singles and the mixed doubles. Australian tennis champion Charlotte Cooper at work on the court at the Paris 1900 games. In 1912, Ladies swimming competitions were added to the program. Throughout the 20th century, the IOC added more women’s events, and in 1991 declared that any new sports must include events for both sexes. Women’s 100 meter medalists, Stockholm Games 1912. From left to right: Fanny Durack (1st place, AUS), Wilhelmina Wylie (2nd place, AUS), and Jennie Fletcher (3rd place, GBR) Legendary American sprinter Wilma Rudolph making history on the track. She was the first American to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games, Rome, 1960. The addition of women’s boxing to the 2012 London Summer Games brought about parity in the Olympic program for the first time in the history.

Women's Boxing at the London 2012 Summer Games The Paralympic Games In 1948, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organized an event for injured British World War II veterans. Named the 'International Wheelchair Games' these competitions coincided with the London Olympiad of that year. The 'Wheelchair Games' were held again in 1952, but this time the event included competitors from other nations, thus making it the first international competition of its kind. These first events were known as the 'Stoke Mandeville Games' and would evolve into what we now know as the 'Paralympic Games'. The first open Paralympics were held in Rome in 1960. Since then they have run in conjunction with the Summer Olympiad. While athletes with disabilities have always played an integral role in the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games offers athletes a unique opportunity to shine. Olympian Billy Bridges celebrates the gold medal performance of Team Canada in Sledge Hockey at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, Turin, Italy. The Olympics have traveled a great distance from their ancient religious and athletic origins.

The games have transformed from an amateur sporting activity in rural England, to an international event dreamt up by Pierre de Coubertin, and are now a global celebration of peaceful competition, diversity and perseverance. And the games continue to evolve. The next stop on this epic journey will be Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August 2016 - the perfect way to mark the historic anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. View of Rio de Janiero, Brazil - the host city for the 2016 Summer Games, August 5 - 21. Credits: All media 1896 Summer Olympics 1896 Summer Olympics Games of the I Olympiad Host city Stadium Panathinaiko Stadium The 1896 Summer Olympics, formally called the Games of the I Olympiad, were the first modern Summer Olympic Games and the first Games since Roman emperor Theodosius I banned the Ancient Olympic Games in AD 393 as part of the Christian campaign against paganism. They were held between 6 April and 15 April 1896.

An 1894 congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin in Paris established the International Olympic Committee and appointed the Greek capital of Athens as the host city. The Greeks had little experience with organizing sports events, and initially had financial troubles as well, but managed to have everything ready in time. 1896 Olympic Games , Athens, 6th event in the 5th day. The winner of the Marathon race Spyridon Louis is entering the Panathenaic stadium joined by the Royal Princes Constantine and George of Greece Although the number of participating athletes was low by current standards, it had the largest international participation for any sports event to that date. In spite of the absence of many of the time's top athletes, the Games were a success with the Greek public. The athletic highlight for the Greeks was the marathon victory by their compatriot Spiridon Louis . The most successful competitor in terms of victories was German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann. After the Games, De Coubertin and the IOC were petitioned by, among others, Greece's King George and some of the American competitors in Athens to hold all following Games in Athens.

However, the 1900 Summer Olympics were already planned for Paris and, barring the so-called Intercalated Games of 1906 , the Olympics did not return to Greece until the 2004 Summer Olympics. Election as host city During the 19th century, several minor sports festivals named after the Ancient Olympic Games were held in a few European countries. Pierre de Coubertin also had the idea to revive the Olympics, but as an international and multi-sport event. He presented his ideas at a 1894 congress held in the Sorbonne, Paris, with delegates from sports societies of 11 countries present. After it had been decided to revive the Olympics, a host city for these first Olympics had to be selected. De Coubertin's idea was to hold these concurrently with the Universal Exposition of 1900 in Paris. Concerned that a six-year waiting period might lessen the interest in the Olympics, the congress decided to hold the first Olympics in 1896. Several congress members suggested London as the location, but after a brief talk with Greek delegate Demetrius Vikelas De Coubertin put Athens forward as a possibility.

Greece being the original home of the Olympics, the congress unanimously approved the proposal. Vikelas was elected as the first president of the newly established International Olympic Committee (IOC). The true origin of the modern Olympics was acknowledged by De Coubertin as being in Much Wenlock, a rural market town in the English county of Shropshire. It was here that in 1850 the local doctor, William Penny Brooks, founded the Much Wenlock Olympics. The first games were held in October 1850. It was a mixture of events, including athletics and games such as cricket, football, quoits, and others. Organization The restoration of the Panathenaic Stadium , originally built in the fourth century BC, was funded by Georgios Averoff. The stadium was used again for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The news that the Olympic Games would return to Greece was received favourably by the Greek public and media. However, the country was in financial troubles and was politically unstable, the job of prime minister alternating between Charilaos Trikoupis and Theodoros Deligiannis at a high frequency.

In late 1894 the organizing committee, headed by Etienne Skouloudis , presented a report that the cost of the Games would be three times higher than originally estimated by De Coubertin. They concluded the Games could not be held, and offered their resignation. Greek crown prince Constantine, a supporter of the Games, decided to set up a new committee, with himself as the president. His enthusiasm sparked a wave of contributions from the Greek public, raising 330,000 drachmas. A special set of postage stamps raised a further 400,000, and ticket sales added 200,000 drachmas. At the request of Constantine, wealthy businessman George Averoff agreed to pay for the restoration of the Panathinaiko Stadium , which would eventually cost 920,000 drachmas. As a tribute to his generosity, a statue of Averoff was constructed and unveiled on 5 April outside of the stadium, where it still stands. Organized sports were relatively new to Greece, and as such the organizing committee had little experience in staging sports events.

Their duties in this aspect were largely taken over by De Coubertin, who had to both elect the rules to follow and to invite athletes. Some of the athletes would take part in the Games because they happened to be in Athens at the time the Games were held, either on vacation or for work (e.g., some of the British competitors worked for the British embassy). There was no designated Olympic Village for the athletes like there is nowadays; the athletes stayed in hotels or with friends. Opening ceremony The opening ceremony in the Panathenaic Stadium On 6 April, the Games of the First Olympiad were officially opened. It was Easter Monday for the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, and was also the anniversary of the outbreak of the war for Greek independence. The Panathenaic stadium was filled, with an estimated 80,000 spectators including King George I of Greece , his wife Olga, and their sons. Most of the competing athletes were aligned on the infield, grouped by nation. After a speech by the president of the organizing committee, Crown Prince Constantine, his father officially opened the Games: "I declare the opening of the first international Olympic Games in Athens. Long live the Nation.

Long live the Greek people." Afterwards, 9 bands and 150 choir singers performed the Olympic Hymn, composed by Spyros Samaras, with words by poet Kostis Palamas . The hymn was well received, and the crowd desired an encore. Ceremony in Olympia The current Olympic opening ceremonies contain elements of this brief opening ceremony. The head of state of the organizing nation still officially opens the Games, and the Olympic Hymn (official since 1958) is still played. Other elements, such as the parade of nations, the lighting of the Olympic Flame and the Olympic Oath were initiated later. Some of the Athletes from the United States Greek Athletes 1896, Spiros Louis with a Greek outfit Sport by sport overview At the 1894 Sorbonne congress, a large roster of sports had been mentioned for the programme in Athens. The first edition of the official announcement featured sports such as football and cricket, but these plans were never carried out. Rowing was scheduled, but had to be cancelled due to strong winds on the planned day of competition.

Yachting was cancelled too, because "we had no proper boats for this, nor did any foreign ones appear for the contest" (Official Report). Athletics Main article: Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics The athletics events (commonly known today as "track and field" in the United States), which were held in the Panathenaic Stadium, had the most international field of any of the sports. The American team of 10, which featured only one national champion, was dominant, taking 9 of the 12 titles. The major highlight of the athletics programme, however, was the marathon held for the first time in international competition. Spiridon Louis, a previously unrenowned water carrier, won the event to become the only Greek athletics champion and a national hero. No world records were set, as few international top competitors had turned up. In addition, the curves of the track were very tight, making fast times in the running events virtually impossible. Cycling Main article: Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics Main article: Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics Schuhmann (left) and Georgios Tsitas shake hands before the final match of the wrestling competition.

No weight classes existed for the wrestling competition, held in the Panathenaic Stadium which meant that there would only be one winner among competitors of all sizes. The rules used were similar to modern Greco-Roman wrestling, although there was no time limit, and not all leg holds were forbidden (in contrast to current rules). Apart from the two Greek contestants, all competitors had previously been active in other sports. Weightlifting champion Launceston Elliot faced gymnastics champion Carl Schuhmann from Germany. The latter won easily and advanced into the final, where he met Georgios Tsitas. Their final match had to be abandoned after 40 minutes of wrestling when darkness fell in and was continued the following day, when the German finished the bout within a quarter of an hour. Closing ceremony On the morning of Sunday 12 April, King George organized a banquet for officials and athletes (even though some competitions were not to be held). During his speech, he made clear that, as far as he was concerned, the Olympic should be held in Athens permanently. The official closing ceremony was held the following Wednesday, being postponed from Tuesday due to rain.

Again the royal family attended the ceremony, which was opened by the national anthem of Greece and an ode composed and cited by George S. Robertson, a British athlete and scholar. Afterwards, the king awarded prizes to the winners. Unlike today, the winners received silver medals and the second-placed athletes bronze medals. Some winners also received additional prizes, such as Spyridon Louis, who received a cup from Michel Bréal, a friend of De Coubertin who had conceived the marathon event. Louis then led the medallists on a lap of honour through the stadium, while the Olympic Hymn was played again. The King then formally closed the Games, saying "I declare the First International Olympic Games terminated." Like the Greek king, many others supported the idea of holding the next Games in Athens as well; most of the American competitors signed a letter to the Crown Prince expressing this wish. De Coubertin, however, was heavily opposed to this idea, as he envisioned international rotation as one of the cornerstones of the modern Olympics. According to his wish, the next Games were held in Paris, although they would be subdued by the concurrently held Universal Exposition.

Nations The concept of national teams was not a major part of the Olympic movement until the Intercalated Games ten years later, though many sources list the nationality of competitors in 1896 and give medal counts. Most sources list 13 competing nations as follows: Australia - Despite Australia still being part of the United Kingdom, the results of Teddy Flack are typically given with him listed as Australian. Austria - Austria was part of Austria-Hungary at the time, though the results of Austrian athletes are typically reported separately. Denmark Egypt - Dionysios Kasdaglis, a resident of Alexandria, is typically considered to have represented Egypt. Some sources count him as Greek, however. France Germany Great Britain and Ireland - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has historically maintained separate athletic organizations for each of its constituent kingdoms. The major exception to this has been the Olympic Games, in which the country is considered as a single entity. However, it has conventionally used the name "Great Britain and Ireland" (and later "Great Britain and Northern Ireland") at the Olympics rather than the more common shortening of the name to "the United Kingdom". Greece - Greek results typically include the results of competitors from Cyprus and Smyrna.

Occasionally, Kasdaglis of Egypt is also included in the Greek count. Cyprus - Some sources give Cypriot results separately, though most count Anastasios Andreou, a Greek-Cypriot and the only athlete from Cyprus, as Greek. Cyprus was a protectorate of the United Kingdom at the time. Smyrna - The two athletes from Smyrna are nearly always included in the Greek listings, similarly to the Cypriot athlete. Hungary - Hungary is usually listed separately from Austria, despite the two being formally joined as Austria-Hungary at the time. However, Hungarian results are considered to include those of athletes from Vojvodina (now part of Serbia) and Slovakia. United States Entered nations that did not compete Three nations had entered the names of competitors, but all of the men from those nations withdrew before the competitions. Belgium Russia Medal count Currently, many media sources publish medal counts for the Olympic Games. This was not the case in 1896, but many sources have tallied the 1896 medals to be able to compare the 1896 edition with later Games. These statistics should be used with care, however.

It should be noted, first, that no gold medals were awarded at all, and the third place finishers did not receive any prize in Athens. Secondly, national teams as we know now hardly existed. Greece and Hungary had held selection matches, but most other athletes represented their clubs or themselves. Furthermore, not all of the countries listed below did actually exist as of 1896. For example, Australia was not yet independent of the UK, and Hungary and Austria were formally joined together as one nation. Nevertheless, most sources have the countries as listed below. (Host country in bold.) Numbers in parentheses indicate the results if nations are credited with medals won as part of mixed teams. 1896 Summer Olympics Champions Olympic Games 1896 , Notes This number is an indication. National teams hardly existed at the time, and most athletes represented themselves or their clubs. In addition, countries were not always as well-defined as they are today. The number of countries here reflects the number used by most modern sources. This number of competitors is an estimate, taken from Mallon & Widlund (see #References). Greece still used the Julian Calendar at the time.

According to that calendar, the Games were opened on 25 March and closed on 3 April. These medals were won by a team with members from two different nations. This was allowed in 1896, but this is no longer the case today. Female competitors In the first modern Olympics of 1896, women were not allowed to compete, but there was an unofficial competitor in the marathon, a poor Greek woman who became known as 'Melpomene'. Melpomene's real name was Stamati Revithi. She was not allowed to compete in the mens race, but ran by herself the next day. The final lap was completed outside the stadium as she was refused entry to the stadium. After her marathon run, athletics officials couldn't remember her name so they labelled her 'Melpomene', who is the Greek muse of Tragedy. Looking at Stamata Revithi, they could see only tragedy, not her extraordinary feat. [ 1 ] Gyzis, Olympia 1896 Diploma , References Lampros, S.P.; Polites, N.G.; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P.J.; & Anninos, C.

(1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896. Athens: Charles Beck. . (Digitally available at [ 2 ]) Mallon, Bill; & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9. (Excerpt available at [ 3 ]) Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X. Further reading Greenberg, Stan (1996). The Guinness Book of Olympic Facts and Feats. Enfield: Guinness. ISBN 0-85112-639-1. Kluge, Volker (1997). Olympische Sommerspiele: die Chronik I. Berlin: Sportverlag. ISBN 3-328-00715-6.

Lennartz, Karl (ed.) (1996). Die olympischen Spiele 1896 in Athen: Erläuterungen zum Neudruck des Offiziellen Berichtes. Kassel: Agon. . Wallechinsky, David (2000). The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics. Woodstock: Overlook Press. ISBN 1-58567-033-2. Links The Games | The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games - Penn Museum Search THE GAMES The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in Olympia (see 'Did you know' in the glossary), a rural sanctuary site (model shown here, courtesy of the British Museum) in the western Peloponnesos. The Greeks that came to the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia shared the same religious beliefs and spoke the same language. The athletes were all male citizens of the city-states from every corner of the Greek world, coming from as far away as Iberia (Spain) in the west and the Black Sea (Turkey) in the east.

The sanctuary was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympos (see 'Did you know' in the glossary), the highest mountain in mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mt. Olympos was the home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses. The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long. The stadion track at Olympia is shown here. According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals or until 724 BC. From 776 BC, the Games were held in Olympia every four years for almost 12 centuries. Contrary evidence, both literary and archaeological, suggests that the games may have existed at Olympia much earlier than this date, perhaps as early as the 10th or 9th century BC. What's that, you ask?

A series of bronze tripods have been found at Olympia, some of which may date to the 9th century BC, and it has been suggested that these tripods may in fact be prizes for some of the early events at Olympia. Source: Deutsches Archaologisches Institut, Athen The marathon was NOT an event of the ancient Olympic games. The marathon is a modern event that was first introduced in the Modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens, a race from Marathon northeast of Athens to the Olympic Stadium, a distance of 40 kilometers. The race commemorates the run of Pheidippides, an ancient "day-runner" who carried the news of the Persian landing at Marathon of 490 B.C. to Sparta (a distance of 149 miles) in order to enlist help for the battle. According to the fifth century B.C.ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides delivered the news to the Spartans the next day. The distance of the modern marathon was standardized as 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 km. in 1908 when the Olympic Games were held in London.

The distance was the exact measurement between Windsor Castle, the start of the race, and the finish line inside White City Stadium. NUDITY AT THE GAMES? There are two stories relating to the question of nudity at the ancient Olympic Games. One story states that it was a runner from Megara, Orsippos or Orrhippos who, in 720 B.C. was the first to run naked in the stadion race when he lost his shorts in the race. Another tradition is that it was the Spartans who introduced nudity to the Olympic Games in the 8th century B.C. as it was a Spartan tradition. It is not clear if the very first recorded victor at Olympia, Koroibos, who won the stadion race in 776 B.C. wore shorts or not. It seems fairly clear that by the late 8th century nudity was common for the male contestants. FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN Although the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.

The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894. His original thought was to unveil the modern Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host. THE OLYMPIC FLAME The idea of the Olympic torch or Olympic Flame was first inaugurated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympic Games. There were known, however, torch relays in other ancient Greek athletic festivals including those held at Athens. The modern Olympic torch relay was first instituted at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The Olympic Oath was introduced in 1920. Did you know... Additional athletic events were gradually added until, by the 5th century BC, the religious festival consisted of a five-day program. For a complete list of events, click here . PLUS... For a complete list of modern Olympic Game location sites, click here . Shown here is the stadium entrance at Olympia. Any Winter Games?

The first modern Winter Olympic games were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. There was no winter Olympic festival in ancient times. Separate Winter Games were first authorized in 1911 to be held in 1916, but due to World War I they didn't occur until 1924, in Chamonix. Starting with Lillehammer in 1994, it was decided that every other year will be an Olympic year (with Summer and Winter Games alternating), rather than holding Summer and Winter Games every 4th year. This was done to accommodate TV networks and audiences. The Modern Olympic flag of five linked rings, each with a primary color used in the flags of the nations competing in the games, was introduced in 1908. There is no ancient basis for this modern symbol. Detail from an Attic Red Figure Kylix, ca. 490-480 BC, depicting two men wrestling. Above them hang a discus in its bag and a pair of jumping weights called 'halteres.' Long jumpers used the weights to increase their competition distances by vigorously swinging them forward at the moment of takeoff.

The coach or trainer stands to the left of the wrestlers, leaning on his staff and holding a long forked branch. Museum Object Number: MS 2444 . First modern Olympics is held - Apr 06, 1896 - HISTORY.com First modern Olympics is held Share this: First modern Olympics is held Author First modern Olympics is held URL Publisher A+E Networks On April 6, 1896, the first modern Olympic Games are held in Athens, Greece, with athletes from 14 countries participating. The International Olympic Committee met for the first time in Paris in June 1984 and chose Greece as the site of the inaugural modern Olympiad. The ancient games are believed to have originated in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece, where athletes competed in one event: a foot race. Over the years, other events were added, including chariot racing, boxing, wrestling and the pentathlon. Participants, who were all young men from Greek city-states and colonies, often battled it out in the buff, as a way to celebrate the human body, and winners received olive branches. The last ancient Olympics are thought to have taken place in A.D. 393.

At the first modern Olympics, 241 male athletes (and no women) representing 14 nations competed in 43 events. America’s James Connolly became the first modern Olympic champion when he won the triple jump on the opening day of the Games. For his achievement, he was awarded a silver medal and an olive branch. Connolly later finished second in the high-jump event and took third in the long jump. France, Great Britain, Germany and Greece had the largest number of athletes participating. Nevertheless, the U.S. took home the most first-place finishes (11) of any nation, followed by Greece (10) and Germany (6). All told, America placed first, second or third in 20 events while Greece scored in 46 events and Germany placed in 13 competitions. To the delight of the hometown crowd, Greek runner Spyridon Louis won the marathon. The first Olympiad closed on April 15, 1896. The second Olympiad was held in Paris in 1900 with 997 athletes (22 of them women) from 24 countries competing in 95 events. The U.S.

hosted the Olympics for the first time in 1904, in St. Louis. The third Olympiad marked the first time gold, silver and bronze medals were given out to first, second and third-place finishers. Starting in 1992, the summer and winter games, which had traditionally been held in the same year every four years, took place two years apart. The Summer Games returned to Athens in 2004, with 10,625 athletes (4,329 women and 6,296 men) from 201 nations participating in 301 events. Related Videos Olympics Facts | KidsKonnect Worksheets / Sports /Olympics Facts Olympics Facts The modern Olympic Games are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The ancient games date back to 776 BC and before and were dedicated to Zeus. See the fact file below for more information about the Olympics. Download the Olympic Games Worksheet Download and use this worksheet in the classroom or at home to increase your students' Olympic Games knowledge.

Download The ancient Olympic Games date back to 776 BC, but many actually believe they were being held long before that time. The Greeks dedicated these games to the God Zeus. The original games were held on the plain of Olympia in Peloponnesos, Greece. Only one event took place at the ancient games. It was a short run that was called the “stade”. The race was run by men who competed in the nude. A wreath of olive branches was placed on the winner’s head. In Greek, this is called a kotinos. Women couldn’t compete in these games, and they were not allowed to watch either. The period of time between the Olympic Games is called an olympiad. It consists of four years. Beginning in 1994, the Summer and Winter Olympic games were staggered, so that there is one set of Olympic games, summer or winter, alternating every two years. As time went on more sports were added and the Olympics continued to grow. Even today, with the Modern Olympics, new sports are being added as well as some sports being eliminated.

Some of the sports we no longer see at the Olympics are: golf, basque pelota, croquet, jeu de paume, lacrosse, polo, rackets, roque, rugby, union, cricket, tug-of-war and softball. Originally, the Olympics were only held in the summer. The first winter Olympics were held in 1924, in Chamonix, France. The Olympic flag has five intersecting rings. They are each a different color: red, black, green, blue and yellow. The rings are displayed on a white background. The rings represent the five parts of the world that were joined together in the Olympic movement: the Americas, Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Baron de Coubertin designed the flag of the Olympics in 1913-1914, and it was first used at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. A flame was lit for each Olympics, and it burned throughout the games. The flame symbolized the death and rebirth of Greek heroes. This tradition began during the ancient Olympic Games, over 2700 years ago in Greece. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympics.

The first torch relay took place at the 1936 games in Berlin, Germany. The following sports are part of the Summer Olympics: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Fencing, Field Hockey, Soccer, Gymnastics, Handball, Judo, Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling. The following sports are part of the Winter Olympics: Biathlon, Combined Downhill, Cross Country, Downhill, Freestyle Aerials, Freestyle Moguls, Giant Slalom, Nordic Combined, Slalom, Snowboarding, Ski Jumping, Super-G, Bobsleigh, Luge, Skeleton, Curling, Figure Skating, Ice Dancing, Ice Hockey, Speed Skating, Short Track.

Primary Sidebar Trusted online source since 1999 Secure payments via Stripe or PayPal Resources created by teaching professionals Secure servers for online safety Excellent customer support Olympic Games Summer and Winter Locations and History of the Games Olympic games summer and winter locations and history of the games Olympic games summer and winter locations and history of the games Olympic History The Olympic Games took their name from the Greek city of Olympia and though there were important athletic competitions held in other Greek cities in ancient times, the Olympic Games were regarded as the most prestigious. The games were held every four years during August and September and the word "Olympiad", which referred to the four year intervals between competitions, was commonly used to measure time. The first documented Olympic champion was a man named Coroebus, a cook from Elis who won the sprint race in 776 BC. Historians believe that the games had already existed for at least 500 years prior to that date. The Olympic Games originally featured only one event: a race called the "stade", equal to a distance of about 210 yards. By 728 BC two additional races had been added, comparable to the 400 meter and 1,500 meter races of the modern games.

The Olympics came to include wrestling, boxing and the pentathlon, as well as specialized events for soldiers and heralds. It was only in 472 BC that the events were spread out over a period of four to five days, previously they had all taken place on a single day. Participation in the Olympic Games was originally limited to free born Greeks, but as Greek civilization was spread by the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Games drew entrants from as far away as Antioch, Sidon and Alexandria. While the only official prize was a wreath or garland, successful athletes were supported by the governments of their cities and devoted much time to training. Most of the competitors were, in fact, professionals. After the Roman conquest of Greece in the second century BC, the Olympic Games suffered a decline in popularity and importance, but the Games persisted until AD 393, when the Roman emperor Theodosius I ordered their abolition. The idea of reviving the Olympic Games originated with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a 29 year old French aristocrat who first publicly raised the issue in 1892.

At a conference on international sport held in Paris in 1894, Coubertin managed to convince delegates from 49 organizations representing nine countries to vote in favor of an Olympic revival. His chief allies in this effort were Dimitrios Vikelas of Greece and Professor William M. Sloane of the United States. The organizers had planned the first modern Olympics for 1900 in Paris, but later decided to move the date forward to 1896 and to change the venue to Athens, though the local government of the Greek capital was initially hostile to the idea. Coubertin and his colleagues of the newly formed International Olympic Committee eventually prevailed, and the first Olympic Games of the modern era were inaugurated by the King of Greece in the first week of April 1896. The Games of 1896, 1900 and 1904 were loosely organized and did not feature national teams produced by rigorous selection. The 1908 Games, held in London in a newly built 66,000 seat stadium, were the first where the events were organized by the relevant authorities in each athletic discipline.

More than 2,000 athletes from 22 nations competed in 100 events. The 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm drew more then 2,500 competitors from 28countries and featured the first women's swimming events. No Games were held in 1916 due to World War I, but the Games enjoyed strong growth after the war, with 44 nations participating in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. At the1928 Games in Amsterdam there were more than 290 women among the 3,000athletes, more than double the number that took part in 1924. The Olympic Games were suspended again for 12 years because of World War II, resuming in 1948 in London. The post-war era saw steady growth in the number of countries and athletes competing and a dramatic increase in women's events. Politics began to intrude on the Games in a serious way at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, where Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village.

Sixty nations boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, while the Soviets and some of their allies retaliated by declining to take part in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. The end of the Cold War has eliminated the largest source of political conflict, and most Olympic controversies in recent years have centered on accusations. Olympic Games Location (modern day) The IOC, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, sets and enforces Olympic policy. The site of the games is chosen, usually at least six years in advance. The Olympic Flag Putting five colored interlocking rings on a white background was conceived by Pierre de Coubertin. Almost a century after the flag's creation, the six colors, those of the rings (blue, yellow, black, green, red) and that of the background (white), still maintain their symbolism today. The Olympic symbol, the five interlocking rings, represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of the athletes of the world at the Olympic Games. Sites of the Summer Olympic Games 1896 - Athens, Greece 1904 - St.

Louis, Missouri USA 1906 - Athens, Greece* 1932 - Los Angeles, California USA 1936 - Berlin, Germany 1984 - Los Angeles, California USA 1988 - Seoul, South Korea 2016 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2020 - Tokyo, Japan

Question: The modern Olympic Games are named after games held originally in what country?
Answer: Greece