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A History of the Olympics

According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history.

The ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences.

Approximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival. Coubertin is now known as le Rénovateur. Coubertin was a French aristocrat born on January 1, 1863. He was only seven years old when France was overrun by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Some believe that Coubertin attributed the defeat of France not to its military skills but rather to the French soldiers’ lack of vigor.* After examining the education of the German, British, and American children, Coubertin decided that it was exercise, more specifically sports, that made a well-rounded and vigorous person.

Coubertin’s attempt to get France interested in sports was not met with enthusiasm. Still, Coubertin persisted. In 1890, he organized and founded a sports organization, Union des Sociétés Francaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA). Two years later, Coubertin first pitched his idea to revive the Olympic Games. At a meeting of the Union des Sports Athlétiques in Paris on November 25, 1892, Coubertin stated,

Let us export our oarsmen, our runners, our fencers into other lands. That is the true Free Trade of the future; and the day it is introduced into Europe the cause of Peace will have received a new and strong ally. It inspires me to touch upon another step I now propose and in it I shall ask that the help you have given me hitherto you will extend again, so that together we may attempt to realise [sic], upon a basis suitable to the conditions of our modern life, the splendid and beneficent task of reviving the Olympic Games.**

His speech did not inspire action. Though Coubertin was not the first to propose the revival of the Olympic Games, he was certainly the most well-connected and persistent of those to do so. Two years later, Coubertin organized a meeting with 79 delegates who represented nine countries. He gathered these delegates in an auditorium that was decorated by neoclassical murals and similar additional points of ambiance. At this meeting, Coubertin eloquently spoke of the revival of the Olympic Games. This time, Coubertin aroused interest.

The delegates at the conference voted unanimously for the Olympic Games. The delegates also decided to have Coubertin construct an international committee to organize the Games. This committee became the International Olympic Committee (IOC; Comité Internationale Olympique) and Demetrious Vikelas from Greece was selected to be its first president. Athens was chosen for the revival of the Olympic Games and the planning was begun.

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Venues of the Olympic Games
1896 - Athens
1900 - Paris
1904 - St. Louis
1906 - Athens (”Unoffficial”)
1908 - London
1912 - Stockholm
1916 - Not held
1920 - Antwerp
1924 - Paris
1928 - Amsterdam
1932 - Los Angeles
1936 - Berlin
1940 - Not held
1944 - Not held
1948 - London
1952 - Helsinki
1956 - Melbourne
1960 - Rome
1964 - Tokyo
1968 - Mexico City
1972 - Munich
1976 - Montreal
1980 - Moscow
1984 - Los Angeles
1988 - Seoul
1992 - Barcelona
1996 - Atlanta
2000 - Sydney

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Online Resources

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
[Official site] A variety of information involving the candidate and host cities, events, IOC policies, international sports federations, national Olympic …
www.olympic.org/

Olympic Games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Olympic Games [1] is an international multi-sport event subdivided into summer and winter sporting events. The summer and winter games are each held …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games

2008 Summer Olympics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, are an international multi-sport event, that will be held in Beijing, …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics

The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Official site. Contains fact sheets, athlete profiles, cultural information, and news.
en.beijing2008.cn/

Olympics | Beijing Games 2008 | Olympics in China | Olympics 2008 …
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Latest Info on Olympics, Beijing 2008, Special Olympics, Olympics in China, Special Olympics 2008, Olimpics 2008, Bejing 2008, …
sify.com/sports/olympics/

India In Olympics 2004
India’s participation in Athens Olympics 2004 in events like Hockey, Archery, Tennis, Weight Lifting, Wrestling and more.
olympics.indiapress.org/

The Modern Olympics: A Struggle for Revival - Google Books Result
by David C. Young - 1996 - Sports & Recreation - 252 pages
He traces the idea for the modern Olympics back to an obscure Greek poet in 1833 and follows the sinuous tale to a small village in England, where W. P….
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0801853745…
The Ancient Olympics
Includes a comparison of ancient and modern Olympics, essays about the history of the Olympics, and stories of ancient Olympic athletes.

www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/

2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing | Athlete, Team Profiles, Olympics …
Watch the 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing China. Visit the NBC Olympics website for featured Olympic athlete profiles, daily online blogs, …
www.nbcolympics.com/

China Daily - 2008 Olympics
The Olympic Games section of this official Chinese newspaper provides information about the Chinese Team, famous Chinese athletes and news.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/

Olympics - EnchantedLearning.com
Winter Olympics: Turin/Torino, Italy, is the locale of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
www.enchantedlearning.com/olympics/

Olympics: The Olympics - Google Books Result
by John Escott - 1999 - Curiosities and wonders - 48 pages
Fast, powerful and the best - the winners of gold medals in the Olympic Games.
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0435212338…
Special Olympics Public Website

Features history of the program, list of games, and athletes.
www.specialolympics.org/

ESPN - Olympics - Olympic Games
Kobe and Team USA open their Olympic quest on Aug. 10 vs. China. … The Olympics are a venue for the world’s best athletes to compete at their peak. …
sports.espn.go.com/oly/index

The Olympics: Facts, Figures & Fun - Google Books Result
by Liam McCann - 2006 - Sports & Recreation - 96 pages
This guide takes the gold!
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1904332404…

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE - OLYMPIC GAMES
www.olympic.org - Site Officiel du Mouvement Olympique … This event will allow the Olympic Movement to extend its reach and stimulate worldwide sports …
www.olympic.org/uk/games/index_uk.asp -

United States Olympic Committee
Calendar, athlete biographies, photographs and news from individual sports, links to member federations, and downloads available.
www.usoc.org/

The Best Olympics Ever?: Social Impacts of Sydney 2000 - Google Books Result
by Helen Lenskyj, Helen Jefferson Lenskyj - 2002 - Sports & Recreation - 262 pages
In The Best Olympics Ever?
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0791454738…

Homepage - London 2012
London 2012, Olympics. … 2012 Olympic Games 27 July - 12 August 2012: 1466 days to go 2012 Paralympic Games 29 August - 9 September 2012: 1499 days to go …
www.london2012.com/

field guide to the cascades & olympics - Google Books Result
by Stephen R. Whitney, Rob Sandelin, Elizabeth Briars - 2004 - Nature - 317 pages
The “what’s that?” guide to Northwest plants and animals–now expanded, updated, and in full-color!*More than 700 color illustrations for easy…
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0898868084…

2008 Summer Olympics - The Road to Beijing, China | Reuters.com
Full coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
www.reuters.com/news/sports/2008olympics

Olympics Theme Unit
Olympics theme printables, worksheets, activities, word puzzles & more to supplement lessons and thematic units.
www.abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/sports/olympics/

100 Classic Hikes in Washington: North Cascades, Olympics, Mount … - Google Books Result
by Ira Spring, Harvey Manning - 1998 - Sports & Recreation - 256 pages
Fully detailed, best-selling hiking guides.These “best of the best” guides feature full-color photos and maps throughout.
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0898865867…

Official Site of the 2008 Australian Olympic Team
Hourly updates on all Olympic events, athletes and results. Site medal tally; olympic athlete chat and online trivia sections. Featured articles on the …
www.olympics.com.au/

Official Team GB Website for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
olympics.org.uk offers the latest Olympics Beijing 2008 news, video, podcasts, olympic messageboard, athlete diaries, athlete profiles.
www.olympics.org.uk/ - 91k - Cached - Similar pages
Lookouts: Firewatchers of the Cascades and Olympics - Google Books Result
by IRA Spring, Byron Fish - 1997 - Political Science - 220 pages
Inspiring history of the fire-protection lookouts built and manned during the mid-1900s. With more than 200 photos from archival and personal collections.
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0898864941…

New Zealand Olympic Committee
Includes history, news, and a list of Olympic sports with contact details.
www.olympic.org.nz/

Olympics on Yahoo! Sports - News, Results, Medal Counts, Analysis …
Parade, Gala And Scultpure Honor Special Olympics PlayPlay Video … Raw video: Gold medalist carries Olympic torch PlayPlay Video …
sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing

Mountain Flowers of the Cascades and Olympics - Google Books Result
by Harvey Manning, Ira Spring - 2002 - Nature - 104 pages
Identify wildflowers with this handy guide.
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0898868831…

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