Evolution of olympics

By msjillfenn
  • 776 BCE

    Beginning of ancient Olympics

    776 BC was the year that the ancient Olympics were started in Greece. They were held to honor the Greek god Zeus. The games where held every four years during the hottest days of summer, in a valley surrounded by woods called Olympia. The first and only competition was a 200 m sprint. The winner got a olive branch instead of a medal.
  • 708 BCE

    New sports

    At 708 BC more sports had been added like more running events, jumping, wrestling,and chariot events.
  • 146 BCE

    Roman empire

    The Romans conquered Greece in 146 BC. But the Olympics continued but now slaves had to fight wild animals.
  • 393

    End of the ancient olympics

    AD 393 was the year that the ancient Olympics ended. The one who ended the games was the Roman emperor Theodosius I.

  • The idea of a new olympics

    In 1894 a French philosopher called Baron Pierre de Coubertin came up with an idea similar to the ancient Olympics. He created the IOC (International Olympics Committee). In Paris the IOC decided that the first modern Olympics would be held in Athens, Greece 1896

  • The first modern games

    The first modern Olympic games where held 1896 in the capital of Greece Athens. At first there where 280 competitors who competed for 14 nations. There where 43 events. Now there are 28 sports and 300 events in the summer Olympics. Some of the events in the first modern Olympics were track and field,swimming and weightlifting etc. The first athlete to win a gold medal was the american James Connolly. He won the triple jump. The first ever marathon winner was the Greek Spyridon Louis.

  • Woman start competing in the Olympics

    1900 was the first time woman could compete in the Olympics.

  • Gold medals

    The last pure gold Olympic medals where given out during the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Nowadays Olympic gold medals contain about 1 percent gold, 92 percent silver and the 6 percent left is made of copper.

  • 1916 olympics

    The 1916 Olympics where cancelled because of world war I.

  • First winter olympics

    The first ever winter olympics where held 1924 in Chamonix, France.

  • 1940 olympics

    The 1940 Olympics where also cancelled because of the beginning of World war II

  • 1944 olympics

    The third and last Olympic game so far that was cancelled was the 1944 Olympics, which was also cancelled by world war II.

  • 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio

    During the 2016 Olympics in Rio 205 nations participated. Usain Bolt won the 100m and 200m races. Wayde van Niekerk broke the world record for the 400m race. The British runner Mo Farah won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races. The Ethiopian woman Almaz Ayana broke the world record for the 10,000 meter race.

  • 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang

    The Olympics are being held right now in PyeongChang, South korea. Some of the sports are ice hockey, skiing, skating and curling etc.