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Athens 1896
The first celebration of the modern Olympic Games took place in its ancient birthplace of Athens. The Games attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. An Official Report, and commemorative Olympic stamps. There were 241 athletes, 43 events, 14 countries. -
Paris 1900
The Games of 1900 were held in Paris as part of the World’s Fair. The organisers spread the competitions over five months and under-promoted their Olympic status to such an extent that many athletes. Myer Prinstein refused to take part in the final as this was scheduled for a Sunday. His compatriot and rival Alvin Kraenzlein beat him by one centimetre. Prinstein was allegedly so angry that he attacked and punched Kraenzlein in the face. 14 May - 28 Oct, 997 athletes, 24 countries -
St. Louis 1904
Unfortunately, the St Louis Games repeated all of the mistakes of 1900. The various competitions were spread out over four-and-a-half months and became lost in the chaos of a World’s Fair celebrating the purchase of the Louisiana territory from France.
Date: 01 Jul - 23 Nov, Country:USA, Atheletes 65, Countries 12, Events 95 -
Stockholm 1912
The Stockholm Games were a model of efficiency. The Swedish hosts introduced the first Olympic use of automatic timing devices for the track events, the photo finish and a public address system. Date 05 may - 27 Jul, country Sweden. There were 2407 athletes, 28 countries, 102 events -
Antwerp 1920
The 1916 Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Berlin but were cancelled due to World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honour the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war. Date 20 apr - 12 sep, Country: Belgium, Athletes 2622, Countries 29, events: 156 -
First winter Olympics Chamonix 1924
In 1921, the International Olympic Committee gave its patronage to a Winter Sports Week to take place in 1924 in Chamonix, France. This event was a great success, attracting 10,004 paying spectators, and was retrospectively named the First Olympic Winter Games.
Date: 25 Jan - 05 Feb, Country: France, Athletes: 258, Countries:16,
Events:16 -
Paris 1924 Summer Olympics
The number of participating National Olympic Committees jumped from 29 to 44, signalling the advent of the Olympic Games as a major event with widespread appeal. This newfound popularity was confirmed by the presence of over 1,000 journalists. Date: 04 May - 27 Jul, Country: France, Athletes:3088, Countries: 44,EVENTS:126 -
St.Moritz 1928 Winter Olympics
These Winter Games were the first to be held in a different nation from the Summer Games of the same year. They also marked the participation of Japanese athletes for the first time. A new event was contested: the skeleton.Aged just 15, Sonja Henie of Norway caused a sensation by winning women’s figure skating. Her record as the youngest winner of an individual event stood for 74 years.
Date: 11 Feb - 19 Feb, Country: Switzerland, Athletes: 464, Countries: 25, Events:14 -
Amsterdam 1928
For the first time, a symbolic fire was lit during the Games. The fire was lit in a cauldron that was placed at the top of a tower in the stadium, which had been designed by Jan Wils, a celebrated Dutch architect. The actions of Australian rower Henry Pearce stopped midway through his quarter final to let a family of ducks pass, but still went on to win the race and eventually the gold medal. Date: 17 May - 12 Aug, Country:Netherlands, Athletes:2883, Countries: 46, Events: 109 -
Lake placid 1932
At the time, Lake Placid was a town with a population of fewer than 4,000 people. Faced with major obstacles to raising money in the midst of a depression, Mr Godfrey Dewey, President of the Organising Committee, donated a plot of land belonging to his family for the construction of the bobsleigh track. Date: 04 Feb - 15 Feb, Country: USA, Athletes: 252,Countries:17, Events: 14 -
Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics
The Coliseum Olympic stadium stupefied the whole world by its proportions and the quality of its equipment. Participation in the Games was the lowest since 1904, in spite of the excellent competition standard.Football had to be completely removed. The separation of men and women the Olympic Village was reserved for men, and women stayed in the Chapman Park hotel. Date: 30 Jul - 14 Aug, Country:USA, Athletes: 1334, Countries:37, Events:117 -
Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936
First time a symbolic fire was lit during the Olympic Winter Games. Fireworks were set off at the Closing Ceremony. Alpine skiing, in a combined format (downhill and slalom) was added to the programme, with events for both men and women. Date 06 Feb - 16 Feb, Country: Germany, Athletes 646, Countries: 28, Events: 17 -
Berlin 1936
The Berlin Games are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. As it turned out, the most popular hero of the Games was the African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump.
Date 01 Aug - 16 Aug, Country: Germany, Athletes: 3963, Countries 49, Events: 129 -
St.Moritz 1948
Competing in the slalom, Gretchen Fraser (USA-Alpine skiing) recorded the fastest time in the first round. As she prepared to lead off the second round, a problem developed in the telephone timing system. Despite a 17-minute delay at such a critical time, she skied fast enough to earn the gold medal: the first ever by an American skier.
Date: 30 JAN - 08 FEB, COUNTRY:SWITZERLAND, ATHLETES:669, COUNTRIES:28, EVENTS: 22 -
London 1948
The Olympic Games had not been held in either 1940 or 1944 due to World War II, and London was called upon at short notice to host them. Despite shortages of essential products due to rationing, the city rose magnificently to the challenge - a true victory over dark times. DATE:29 JUL - 14 AUG, COUNTRY: GREAT BRITAIN, ATHLETES: 4104, COUNTRIES :59, EVENTS :136 -
Oslo 1952
In 1952, the Games finally came to Norway, the birthplace of modern skiing. A flame was lit in the hearth of the home of Sondre Nordheim, who had done much to popularise the sport, and relayed by 94 skiers to Oslo. DATE :14 FEB - 25 FEB, COUNTRY:NORWAY, ATHLETES: 694, COUNTRIES:30, EVENTS:22 -
Helsinki 1952
Israel and the Soviet Union entered the Olympic Games for the first time, and fears that Cold War rivalries would lead to clashes proved unfounded. Particularly impressive were the Soviet women gymnasts who won the team competition easily, beginning a streak that would continue for 40 years until the Soviet Union broke up into separate republics. DATE:19 JUL - 03 AUG, COUNTRY:FINLAND, ATHLETES: 4955, COUNTRIES:69, EVENTS:149 -
Cortina D’Ampezzo 1956
The Olympic Oath was sworn by a female athlete for the first time. The honour was given to the Italian Alpine skier Giuliana Chenal-Minuzzo, bronze medallist in the downhill at the 1952 Oslo Games. DATE:26 JAN - 05 FEB, COUNTRY:ITALY, ATHLETES:821, COUNTRIES:32, EVENTS: 24 -
Melbourne- Stockholm 1956
Melbourne won the right to host the 1956 Olympic Games by one vote over Buenos Aires. Australian quarantine laws were too severe to allow the entry of foreign horses, so the equestrian events were held separately in Stockholm in June. Prior to 1956, the athletes in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies marched in alphabetical order by National Olympic Committees. However, in Melbourne, following a suggestion by a young Australian named John Ian Wing.ATHLETES:3314, COUNTRIES:72, EVENTS:151 -
Squaw Valley 1960
When Alexander Cushing put forward Squaw Valley's bid to the International Olympic Committee in 1955, the resort did not even exist ! He was the only inhabitant and homeowner in the whole place (300km from San Francisco and 1,900m above sea level). DATE: 18 FEB - 28 FEB, COUNTRY: USA, ATHLETES:665, COUNTRIES: 30, EVENTS: 27 -
Rome 1960
Rome finally got its chance to stage the Olympic Games, 54 years after Italy had to give up hosting the Games. The Italians made the most of their ancient history, holding the wrestling competition in the Basilica of Maxentius and gymnastics in the Caracalla Baths. DATE: 25 AUG - 11 SEP, COUNTRY:ITALY, ATHLETES :5338, COUNTRIES:83, EVENTS:150 -
Innsbruck 1964
Mongolia, India and North Korea all made their debuts, and the latter’s Han Pil Hwa took silver in the women’s 3,000m speed skating event, her country’s first Olympic Winter medal. In the bobsleigh, athletes raced on a track that used artificial ice – another first. This resulted in the sport losing much of its danger. DATE: 29 JAN - 09 FEB, COUNTRY:AUSTRIA, ATHLETES: 1091, COUNTRIES:36, EVENTS:34 -
Tokyo 1964
The 1964 Tokyo Games were the first to be held in Asia. The carrier of the flame, Yoshinori Sakai, was chosen because he was born on 6 August 1945, the day the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima, in homage to the victims and as a call for world peace.
DATE: 10 OCT - 24 OCT, COUNTRY: JAPAN, ATHLETES: 5152, COUNTRIES: 93, EVENTS:163 -
GRENOBLE 1968
Norway won the most medals, the first time a country other than the USSR had done so. Gender tests for women were introduced, as were doping controls for both men and women. The Grenoble Games were also the first to be broadcast in colour.
DATE: 06 FEB - 18 FEB, COUNTRY :FRANCE, ATHLETES:1158, COUNTRIES:37, EVENTS: 35 -
MEXICO 1968
The choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympic Games proved to be a controversial one because of the city's high altitude, 2,300m. The altitude proved an advantage in explosive events such as short-distance running, jumping, throwing and weightlifting. But the rarefied air proved disastrous for those competing in endurance events. DATE:12 OCT - 27 OCT, COUNTR:MEXICO, ATHLETES:5516, COUNTRIES:112, EVENTS:172 -
SAPPORO 1972
The subject of amateurism stirred controversy at the Sapporo 1972 Games. Austrian skier Karl Schranz was declared ineligible because he had allowed his name and photo to be used in commercial advertising, but full-time ice hockey players from Communist nations were allowed to compete. DATE:03 FEB - 13 FEB, COUNTRY:JAPAN, ATHLETES:1006, COUNTRIES:35, EVENTS:35 -
MUNICH 1972
There were several magnificent sporting performances at the 1972 Games, notably by Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals and broke seven world records. On 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killing two members of the Israeli team and taking nine hostages. In the ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman.DATE: 26 AUG - 11 SEP, COUNTRY: GERMANY, ATHLETES:7134, COUNTRIES:121, EVENTS:195 -
INNSBRUCK 1976
The 1976 Games had been awarded to Denver, but the people of the state of Colorado voted to prohibit public funds from being used to support the Games. Innsbruck offered to step in and its offer was accepted by the IOC Executive Board. The city had previously hosted the Winter Games 12 years earlier. DATE:04 FEB - 15 FEB, COUNTRY: AUSTRIA, ATHLETES: 1123, COUNTRIES:37, EVENTS: 37 -
MONTREAL 1976
The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by an African boycott involving 22 countries. The boycott was organised by Tanzania to protest the fact that the New Zealand rugby team had toured apartheid South Africa and that New Zealand was scheduled to compete in the Olympic Games. DATE:17 JUL - 01 AUG, COUNTRY: CANADA, ATHLETES: 6084, COUNTRIES: 92, EVENTS:198 -
LAKE PLACID 1980
To guarantee that all events took place in the best possible conditions, machines were used to produce artificial snow, the first time this had been done at the Olympic Games. This was the second time the Games were held in Lake Placid, the first being in 1932.
Many snow machines were used to ensure that the competitions took place in the best possible conditions.DATE:13 FEB - 24 FEB, COUNTRY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ATHLETES: 1072, COUNTRIES:37, EVENTS: 38 -
MOSCOW 1980
Aleksandr Dityatin of Russia earned medals in every men's gymnastics event to become the first athlete to win eight medals at one Olympic Games. Super-heavyweight Teófilo Stevenson of Cuba became the first boxer to win the same division three times, and Gerd Wessig of East Germany became the first male high jumper to break the world record at the Olympic Games.
DATE:19 JUL - 03 AUG, COUNTRY: RUSSIAN FEDERATION, ATHLETES:5179, COUNTRIES: 80, EVENTS: 203 -
SARAJEVO 1984
The Games ran smoothly, giving no indication of the tragic war that would engulf the city eight years later. Skier Jure Franko claimed silver in the giant slalom to win Yugoslavia’s first Olympic Winter Games medal. One event was added to women's Nordic skiing - the 20km race, which gave women a total of four races. DATE: 08 FEB - 19 FEB, COUNTRY: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, ATHLETES: 1272, COUNTRIES:49, EVENTS: 39 -
LOS ANGELES 1984
After the financial problems of 1976, only Los Angeles bid for the right to host the 1984 Olympic Games. The bid was criticised for depending heavily on existing facilities and corporate sponsors. However, the Games produced a healthy profit of USD 223 million and became the model for future Games. DATE:28 JUL - 12 AUG, COUNTRY: USA, ATHLETES: 6829, COUNTRIES: 140, EVENTS: 221 -
CALGARY 1988
For the first time, the Winter Games extended to 16 days, including three weekends. The Alpine events were expanded from three to five with the inclusion of the super giant slalom and the Alpine combined. Team events were added in Nordic combined and ski jumping. DATE: 13 FEB - 28 FEB, COUNTRY: CANADA, ATHLETES:1423, COUNTRIES: 57, EVENTS: 46 -
SEOUL 1988
Awarding the Summer Games to South Korea provided the impetus for the country to embrace democracy. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) boycotted, and was joined by Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua. Still, records were set with 159 nations participating, 52 winning medals and 31 taking home gold medals. DATE: 17 SEP - 02 OCT, COUNTRY: REPUBLIC OF KOREA, ATHLETES: 8397, COUNTRIES:159, EVENTS: 237 -
ALBERTVILLE 1992
Speed skiing, curling, and freestyle skiing (aerial and ballet competitions) were the last official demonstration sports at the Olympic Winter Games. The 1992 Albertville Olympic Games were the last Winter Games to be staged in the same year as the Summer Games. Only 18 of the 57 events were held in Albertville itself, while nearby resorts hosted the rest. DATE: 08 FEB - 23 FEB, COUNTRY: FRANCE, ATHLETES: 1801,
COUNTRIES:64, EVENTS:57 -
BARCELONA 1992
For the first time since 1972, the Games were boycott-free, due to important global political changes. Apartheid had been abolished in South Africa. Then there was the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of West and East Germany. Communism had ended and the Soviet Union was divided into 15 separate countries. For the first time since 1972, the Olympic Games were boycott-free. DATE:25 JUL - 09 AUG, COUNTRY: SPAIN, ATHLETES: 9356, COUNTRIES:169, EVENTS:257 -
LILLEHAMMER 1994
Since 1994, the Olympic Winter Games and the Games of the Olympiad are held alternately every two years. In 1986 the IOC voted to change the schedule of the Olympic Games so that the Summer and Winter Games would be held in different years. To adjust to this new schedule, the Lillehammer Games were held in 1994, the only time that two winter Games have been staged two years apart.
DATE: 12 FEB - 27 FEB, COUNTRY: NORWAY, ATHLETES: 1737, COUNTRIES: 67, EVENTS: 61 -
ATLANTA 1996
The 1996 Games were given a dramatic and emotional start when the cauldron was lit by sporting legend Muhammad Ali. However, on 27 July tragedy struck when a terrorist bomb exploded in the Centennial Olympic Park. Two people died and a further 110 people were injured. DATE:19 JUL - 04 AUG, COUNTRY: USA, ATHLETES: 10318, COUNTRIES: 197, EVENTS: 271 -
NAGANO 1998
Snowboarding debuted as an official discipline. Curling returned to the Olympic Winter programme, this time with a tournament for both men and women.For the first time, the men’s ice hockey tournament was opened to all professionals, and women’s ice hockey was introduced to the Olympic programme. The inspired team from the Czech Republic scored a surprise victory. DATE: 07 FEB - 22 FEB, COUNTRY: JAPAN, ATHLETES: 2176, COUNTRIES:72, EVENTS:68 -
SYDNEY 2000
Triathlon and taekwondo were two new additions to the Olympic programme. Susanthika Jayasinghe became the first Sri Lankan woman to win a medal, claiming bronze in the 200m, whilst Birgit Fischer earned two gold medals in kayaking to become the first woman in any sport to win medals 20 years apart. Women also took part in weightlifting and the modern pentathlon for the very first time.
DATE:15 SEP - 01 OCT, COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA, ATHLETES:10651, COUNTRIES:199. EVENTS: 300 -
SALT LAKE CITY 2002
The Games saw the expansion of the Olympic programme to 78 events, including the return of skeleton and the introduction of women's bobsleigh. Athletes from a record 18 National Olympic Committees earned gold medals, including first-ever golds for China and Australia. Athletes: 2,399, DATE: 08 FEB - 24 FEB, COUNTRY: USA, COUNTRIES: 77, EVENTS: 80 -
ATHENS 2004
Popularity in the Games also soared, as 3.9 billion people had access to the television coverage compared to 3.6 billion for Sydney. This global audience enjoyed coverage of never-before seen sports such as women's wrestling, which was included in the programme for the first time.
DATE: 13 AUG - 29 AUG, COUNTRY:GREECE, ATHLETES: 10625, COUNTRIES: 201, EVENTS: 301 -
TURIN 2006
For the first time, live video coverage of the Games was available on mobile phones. Video coverage was available in 18 countries on five continents. In another first, television viewers in Mongolia and Azerbaijan were also able to watch all the action. Surfing the internet for results proved popular too, with torino2006.org registering approximately 700 million page views.DATE: 10 FEB - 26 FEB, COUNTRY: ITALY, ATHLETES: 2508, COUNTRIES:80, EVENTS: 84 -
BEIJING 2008
Beijing was the Games of records and superlatives. The Opening Ceremony was unforgettable; the athletes’ achievements were astonishing, the organisation was excellent; the venues breathtaking and the anti-doping tests were stricter. Several hundred million watched worldwide on TV as more than 40 world records and over 130 Olympic records were broken.DATE: 08 AUG - 24 AUG, COUNTRY: PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, ATHLETES: 10942, COUNTRIES: 204, EVENTS:302 -
VANCOUVER 2010
The venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games stretched over a 120-kilometre zone from Richmond, through downtown Vancouver and north to the mountain resort of Whistler. Drawing on both new and existing facilities, VANOC’s goal was to create spectacular theatres for sport that provide top conditions for athletes and a welcome place for spectators to experience the excitement of competition.DATE: 12 FEB - 28 FEB, COUNTRY: CANADA, ATHLETES: 2566, COUNTRIES:82 -
LONDON 2012
The London 2012 Games were centred around the Olympic Park in east London, which is the site of a number of new sports venues. Up to 180,000 spectators a day entered the Park to enjoy the Games, making it the principal focus of Olympic activity. were easily accessible through a network of footbridges and walkways within the Park. DATE:27 JUL - 12 AUG, COUNTRY: GREAT BRITAIN, ATHLETES: 10568, COUNTRIES: 204, EVENTS: 302 -
Sochi 2014
Action everywhere, from the Black Sea coast to the Krasnaya Polyana mountains. Superb competition venues for spectacular events, historic performances and numerous records. The winners Olympic were: Russia , Germany , Norway, Germany, Canadian , America, Austria and Russian. DATE: 07 FEB - 23 FEB, COUNTRY: RUSSIAN FEDERATION, ATHLETES: 2780, COUNTRIES: 88, EVENTS: 98 -
RIO 2016
The competition venues were clustered in four zones Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro and Maracanã performance transport ring. Nearly half of the athletes could reach their venues in less than 10 minutes, and almost 75 per cent could do so in less than 25 minutes. DATE: 05 AUG - 21 AUG, COUNTRY: BRAZIL, ATHLETES: 11237, COUNTRIES: 207, EVENTS: 306
