When did the olympics first start

When you start seeing the promotional hype for the Summer or Winter Olympics, have you ever wondered, "When did the Olympics start?” The answer is, “It depends.”

Let’s start with some interesting trivia. Did you know it’s only been since 1992 that the Olympics have occurred every other year, swapping between summer games and winter games? This allows athletes time to train and the host countries time to prepare. Prior to 1992, however, it was tradition to hold the winter and summer games in the same year, with a four-year gap between.

Also, did you know that 2020 was not the first time the Olympics were postponed? The Olympics have only been canceled during two other events: World Wars I and II.

So how did this international tradition start?

When Did the Olympics Start?

The Olympic Games were originally a contest in ancient Greece in which the Greek city-states competed against one another for glory. Held every four years, they were part of a festival to honor the Greek god Zeus. The modern Olympics are a direct throwback to the classical Olympics of ancient times, and they also began in Greece!

When did the olympics first start

With the popularity of ancient history, other countries had held their own smaller contests inspired by the ancient Olympics over the years. However, the idea for an international competition under that name was not proposed until 1892. Two years later, the International Olympic Committee was formed, and plans and preparations began for the first modern Olympic Games.

The year was 1896, just four years short of the new century. Participating athletes and supporters from 14 different countries gathered in Athens for the first international Olympic Games, a tradition that would continue to the present. The event was a festival, with 280 athletes from the participating nations joined by around 60,000 spectators. 

What Is the Oldest Olympic Sport?

The first known sport in the classical Olympics in Ancient Greece was foot racing. Track and field competitions, which included foot races, were also part of the first modern Olympics. Running competitions are still a part of the Olympics today.

When did the olympics first start

The first modern Olympics also included competitions in swimming, cycling, gymnastics, weightlifting, wrestling, shooting, fencing, and tennis. Today, the Olympic Games have 67 sports between both the summer and winter games; however, this number may change. Sports have been added and removed over the years, changing with popular trends and technological advancements.

The tradition of holding Winter Olympic Games began in 1924 and brought with it a new selection of sports. For many years, the location of the Winter games was limited by climate and season.

When did the olympics first start

Spyridon Louis after winning the first modern Olympics marathon event in 1896.

Who Won the First Olympics?

The first modern Olympics, much like its ancient inspiration, featured only male competitors. The idea of opening sports competitions to women would not be realized in the Olympic Games until the 1900 games in Paris. 

The participants in the first Olympic Games were from 14 countries: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

The first champion of the modern Olympic games was James Connolly, an athlete from the United States. He took home the gold medal in the long jump competition. 

The winner of the first modern Olympic marathon—a legacy of the foot races of the ancient Olympics and a tribute to the story of Pheidippides—was a Greek athlete named Spyridon Louis. This endurance race was the main event of the 1896 Olympic Games, and Greece’s victory was widely celebrated, with Louis becoming a national hero for earning first place.

Have you or someone in your family ever been to the Olympics? Do you have memories of watching it live on TV? Do you play a sport and dream of one day achieving the gold, or do you just enjoy the athletic competitiveness of playing? Share your memories on FamilySearch Memories for future generations to enjoy.

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  • Introduction & Top Questions
  • The ancient Olympic Games

  • The modern Olympic movement

  • History of the modern Summer Games

  • History of the Olympic Winter Games

Every four years, athletes from around the world gather to compete in events such as sprinting, long jump, discus, snowboarding, and figure skating as part of the Olympics. Their prize? Bragging rights for their home country—plus, you know, a shiny gold medal. Winners didn’t always get a medal, though. Victors in the earliest Olympics won a crown of olive leaves.

READY, SET, GO!

The first known Olympics were held in the summer of 776 B.C. at Olympia, a site in southern Greece where people went to worship their gods. In fact, the Olympics were created in honor of ancient Greece’s most famous god: Zeus, king of the gods. Athletes prayed to Zeus for victory and left gifts to thank him for their successes.

Worshipping Zeus was one of the few things the ancient Greeks agreed on. Divided into different city-states, or settlements, the Greeks were often at war with each other. But even in times of unrest, dueling city-states declared a truce so their athletes could take part in the Olympics. But unlike today’s games, only men were allowed to compete—and they did so naked!

Many events, including sprinting and wrestling, are still part of the modern games. Other sports such as chariot racing are history. Here’s another one that’s long forgotten: Called the pankration, the event was known as the ultimate fighting sport. There were no weight classes, no time limits, and only two rules: no biting and no eye gouging. Ouch! Competitors fought until one gave up or died. Hm … wonder why this sport disappeared?

TAKING HOME THE GOLD

The Romans eventually banned the Olympics in A.D. 393, after Rome conquered Greece in the second century B.C. But the games were revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and have been celebrated every four years since. And in 1924, the Winter Olympics were added to showcase chillier sports such as cross-country skiing, speed skating, and ice hockey.

Today thousands of athletes from hundreds of countries all over the world compete for the gold (or silver or bronze) in the summer and winter events. The modern Olympics aim to bring people from different parts of the world together and encourage friendly competition and peace among neighboring nations. Game on!

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