History of the Modern Olympics
Before the Modern Games
The first recorded ancient Olympic Games were held in 776 BC, held in Olympia, Greece (read more about the Ancient Olympic Games). The Ancient Olympics continued every four years, finishing about 394 AD.
In modern times, the 'Wenlock Games', officially called the Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games, dated from 1850, and was a forerunner of the modern Olympic Games which did not start until almost 50 years later. The Wenlock Games are still held annually in the Shropshire village of Much Wenlock, England. In honor of this, one of the Olympic mascots for the London 2012 Summer Olympics was named Wenlock.
In 1894, a French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin, proposed a revival of the ancient tradition, and thus the modern-day Olympic Summer Games were born.
Olympic flame lighting ceremony at Olympia, GreeceThe Games Begin
- The first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens in 1896.
- Women first competed at the 1900 Paris Games (more about Women at the Olympics)
- Because of World War I and World War II, there were no Olympic Games in 1916, 1940, or 1944.
- You can read information about the history of each host country.
Related Pages
- About the Ancient Olympic Games
- Alternative Olympics
- The Women's World Games / Olympics — for women participants between 1922 and 1934.
- Olympic Stadiums of the Modern Games.
- Olympic Medal History
- History of the Athlete Villages
- Royalty participating at the Games
- Olympic Games Boycotts and Political Events
- Books about the History of the Olympic Games
- History of Sport
- A description of each of the Olympic Games Posters
- Athlete deaths at the Olympic Games
- Olympic Traditions
- Olympic Mascots
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