The Olympics From Ancient Times to Modern Day

In the beginning… The first Olympic games were held in Athens, Greece in the year 776 B.C.

Every 4 years… The four-year interval between Olympic Games is known as an Olympiad.

Modern Olympics The first modern Olympic games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896.

The Olympic Rings The rings represent the union of five continents – Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.

Citius, Altius, Fortius The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius in today’s language means Swifter, Higher, Stronger.

In with the new… In the year 2000 three new sports were added to the Olympic games. They were taekwondo, trampoline, and triathlon (swimming, biking and running).

Father of the Modern Olympics The person who founded the first modern Olympics was Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Go for the Gold An Olympic gold medal contains 6 grams of gold plating over a solid silver base.

Just a Little Further At the 1908 Olympic marathon held in London, Olympic organizers added an extra 385 yards to the traditional 26 miles so that the race would finish in front of the royal family’s spectator box.

The First Competition The Olympic games originally contained one event: the stade – a foot race, a short sprint measuring between 180 and 240 meters, or the length of the stadium.

The Arrival of Women Women were allowed to compete for the first time at the Paris Olympics in 1900.

War and The Olympics The Olympics were canceled due to World War I in 1916 and again in 1940 and 1944 due to world War II.

The XX File Olympiad XX was held in Munich, Germany in The Munich Games were the largest yet, setting records in all categories, with 195 events and 7,173 athletes from 121 nations.

Lighting the Torch The flame of the Olympic torch is relit each time using the sun’s rays and a concave reflective mirror.

And the Winner is… At the ancient Olympic Games a winner received a crown made from olive leaves and he could have a statue of himself made in Olympia.