olympics

By Diego Meneses
  • 776 BCE

    776BCE Athens, Greece

    First Olympics

    First recorded evidence of the ancient Olympic games. The games were held at Olympia. There was only one event – the men’s 200m sprint.
  • 490 BCE

    Greece

    The messenger Pheidippedes ran 42km from Sparta to Athens to bring the news of the Greek victory at the battle of Marathon.
  • 424 BCE

    Greece

    With large numbers of young men having to go to fight against the Spartans there were fewer athletes able to train and compete in the games and so they began to fall into decline.
  • 394 BCE

    Roman Empire

    The Roman Emperor, Theodosius I, abolished the games claiming they were a pagan event.

  • Cotswolds, UK

    Robert Dover, a barrister, founded the Cotswold Olympick Games.

  • Greece

    Englishman Richard Chandler discovered the site of ancient Olympia.

  • France

    L’Olympiade de la République was an olympic-style yearly competition held between 1796 and 1798 in France.

  • Shropshire, UK

    n Olympic-style yearly sports festival was established in Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

  • Greece

    Dr William Penny Brookes persuaded Greek Evangelis Zappas to stage a revival of the ancient Olympic games.

  • Greece

    A German-funded team of archeologists excavated the site of ancient Olympia.

  • Shropshire, UK

    Pierre de Coubertin was invited to attend the Much Wenlock games by Dr William Penny Brookes.

  • France

    The International Olympic Committee was founded by Baron Pierre de Coubertin who took the title of President of the committee.

  • Athens Greece

    The first modern Olympic games was held in Athens, Greece.

  • Paris, France

    Women competed for the first time

  • St Louis, USA

    Gold, silver and bronze medals were introduced

  • London, UK

    For the first time the Olympics take place in a purpose built stadium.

  • Stockholm, Sweden

    Competitors from all 5 continents

  • no olympics

    Pierre de Coubertin designed the Olympic symbol of 5 interlocking rings.

  • Cancelled

    Due to be held in Berlin this games was cancelled due to World War One

  • Antwerp, Belgium

    The Olympic rings symbol was used for the first time.

  • Paris, France

    The games returned to Paris France

  • Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Amsterdam had previously bid for the 1920 and 1924 games.

  • Los Angeles, USA

    First use of a photo finish camera.

  • cancelled

    Cancelled due to World War Two

  • London, UK

    Dubbed the ‘Austerity Games’ as there was no money to fund a lavish spectacle.

  • Melbourne, Australia

    Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt boycotted the games in protest at the British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt

  • Rome, Italy

    Many events took place in the ancient ruins around the city.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    First Olympics held in Asia

  • Mexico City, Mexico

    Summer Olympics First Olympics held in Central America.

  • Munich, Germany

    Black September terrorists killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team

  • Montreal, Canada

    31 nations boycotted the games as a protest against the New Zealand rugby team’s recent game with South Africa

  • Moscow, Soviet Union

    61 Nations refused to compete in these games as a protest against Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.

  • Los Angeles, USA

    15 communist block countries refused to compete in these games in retaliation for the boycott of the Moscow Olympics 4 years earlier.

  • Seoul, South Korea

    11 medalists disqualified for using banned substances.

  • Barcelona, Spain

    Summer Olympics Former Soviet Union members competed as a Unified Team and Germany competed as one nation following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

  • Atlanta, USA

    Television rights were sold for a record sum and Coca-Cola was a major sponsor of these games.

  • Sydney, Australia

    Steve Redgrave won a fifth consecutive gold medal in rowing.

  • Athens, Greece

    The games returned to Athens. The cost involved in staging the Olympics, especially with regard to increased security provision following the 9/11 terror attacks led to delays and venues were completed only just in time.

  • Beijing, China

    Summer Olympics 43 world records and 132 Olympic records were broken during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

  • London, UK

    The games return to London for the third time

  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    The cost of the most expensive opening ceremony ticket (about $1,400 as of this publication). The least expensive opening ceremony ticket is only sold in Brazil and costs 200 real (about $60).