The History of the Olympics: What You Didn't Know

Introduction

In ancient Greece, and then in Roman times, a competition of the sports known as the decennial games, or the ten-day games, was held every ten years, at the height of the Olympics, to celebrate the completion of a decade, and bring glory to the cities involved. These games were held at Olympia in Olympia, Greece, on the famous Parthenon and its arena, with the chariot racing as a main part of the 10-day celebration. When the city of Rome got the Olympic Games in the 4th century BC, the games continued in the context of the Roman Empire. The one major exception was in 896, when the city was conquered by the Muslims. After this period, no such games were held until the revival of the modern Olympic Games by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894.



Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?

Coubertin was born in the early 1800s. After the death of his father, the family lost its financial support. Coubertin, then 15, was forced to leave school, and he started a business selling matchboxes. He founded the Paris Gymnastic and Sports Club in 1849 and took on other interests, including debating, poetry and philanthropy. He was born in the Loire Valley, in central France, where he continued to develop his love of outdoor activities. He participated in many of the great expeditions of the nineteenth century and became familiar with numerous famous naturalists, such as Alfred Joseph Desjardins, Georges Cuvier, Jules-Joseph Lefebvre and Alexandre Brongniart. Coubertin was passionate about motor racing and was involved in the national team.



Why was the Olympics created?

Coubertin — who had originally suggested that the Games should be held on June 21 — thought the modern Olympics would, as he put it, "teach youth, and others, how to grow up in the art of living together.” He wanted to get rid of violent rituals like bear-baiting and sword-dancing, the latter of which was part of the 5-day-long Nemean Games in ancient Greece. He also called for a positive view of the Olympic Games as opposed to an athletic competition, instead wanting them to be used to promote sportsmanship, morality, and cooperation among the Olympic teams. Coubertin hoped that the Games would not only help to promote the ancient Greek ideals of peace, health, and liberty but also unite Europe, the United States, and Japan.



The ancient games

The original Games, which were known as the Games of the Century, was meant to be held on every continent and was viewed as a political and social statement against the coming of the Industrial Age. It was also a reclamation of Greece's heritage. Before the rise of modernity, the Greek's were renowned for their serenity, personal freedoms and lack of central government. They had built their city on top of the immense ruins of a fallen kingdom. The Ancient Olympics were held in Olympia and Amphipolis. Many of the competitors came from the island of Crete. Athletes After the Ancient Olympics, athletes competed for glory and personal gain. They would enter the games under two banners: The union of the athletes and the themes from antiquity.



The first modern Olympics

Coubertin’s plan was to bring together athletes from all the countries around the world to compete in the nation’s capital. He had envisioned his “international” games taking place in Paris in 1900, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not approve the idea until 1916. Coubertin insisted that the Olympics be held every four years and that each nation was to have a certain number of athletes. The IOC agreed to his terms and so the Games were set for Berlin, Germany, in 1920. By that time, only a few countries were interested, but it was no problem for the IOC to find sponsors. The result was that by 1920, over 200 countries were participating in the Olympics.



1956 United States Gymnastics Olympic Men's All-Around gold medal winner Edd Ritvo of the U.S. and Bulgarian gymnast Nikolay Ivanov during the medal ceremony at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by WPA Pool/Getty Images. The Olympics are an iconic part of the history of sports.