The Modern Olympic Games

The modern Olympics

Apr 6, 1896

The modern Olympics started in Athens. Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Exception

Mar 23, 1916

The Olympic Games take place every four years. The only exceptions were 1916, 1940 and 1944. They didn't take place because of the two world wars.

Flag

Mar 23, 1920

The coloured version of the rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—over a white field forms the Olympic flag. These colours were chosen because every nation had at least one of them on its national flag. The flag was adopted in 1914 but flown for the first time only at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium

The Winter Olympics

Mar 23, 1924

The Winter Olympics began in 1924. There are seven winter sports, including skiing and ice hockey/

The Olympic motto

Mar 23, 1924

The Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius, a Latin expression meaning "Faster, Higher, Stronger" was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 and has been official since 1924.

The Olympic Flame

Mar 23, 1928

The flame has been an Olympic symbol since 1928

The torch

Mar 23, 1936

The torch relay was only introduced at the 1936 Summer Games to promote the Third Reich

Exceptions

Mar 23, 1940

The Olympic Games take place every four years. The only exceptions were 1916, 1940 and 1944. They didn't take place because of the two world wars.

Exceptions

Mar 23, 1944

The Olympic Games take place every four years. The only exceptions were 1916, 1940 and 1944. They didn't take place because of the two world wars.

The Paralympics

Mar 23, 1960

The Paralympics didn't exist before 1960. At the first Paralympics in Rome, there were 400 athletes. Now nearly 4000 athletes participate in the Paralympics.

Television

Mar 23, 1960

Before 1960, people didn't watch the Olympics on Television

The Summer and Winter Olympic Games

Mar 23, 1994

Since 1994, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games have been held separately and have alternated every two years.