Olympic History

By godonnell
  • Period: Aug 6, 775 to

    Olympic Game History

  • Aug 6, 776

    Fisrt Games Recorded

    Athletic contests are held at Olympia every four years, between August 6 and September 19. Records reach back as far as 776 B.C., but it is generally accepted that the Olympic Games had already been held for several centuries before that.

  • 1894

    At the urging of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is founded.

  • Athens Olympic 1896

    The first modern Olympic Games. 14 countries are represented by about 245 men, competing in 43 events. No women compete, as de Coubertin feels that their inclusion would be "impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic, and incorrect."

  • Paris Games 1900

    The second modern Games are overshadowed by, and incorporated into, the Paris Exposition. 1,319 men from 26 countries compete in 75 events, although it's not entirely clear—even to some of the participants—which events are actually part of the Olympics. Eleven women are allowed to compete in lawn tennis and golf.

  • London GamesThe 1906 eruption of Mt. Vesuvius requires the Games to move from Rome to London. For the first time, athletes march into the stadium behind their nations' flags. There are more than 2,000 competitors in more than 100 events.Italian Dorando Pi

  • 1916 Games cancelled due to World War I.

  • 1904 St. Louis GamesOnly 13 countries show up.