History of the Olympics

The history of the Olympics began thousands of years ago. Now is a great time to incorporate some history lessons into your busy summer. This year’s games will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but where did the games begin?

The games are a tradition that started roughly 3,000 years ago in Greece. They were held in Olympia and were meant to honor Zeus between August 6th and September 19th. It is believed that the games were started by Zeus’ son, Hercules, and Alcmene. The first known winner of the Olympic games was in 776 B.C. by a man named Coroebus, though it is believed the games began years before his victory.

After the conquering of Greece by the Roman Empire, the games began to lose their integrity. In A.D. 67, Emperor Nero claimed himself as a victor of a chariot race even though he fell off his chariot. The games were banned shortly after and remained that way for centuries.

After 1,500 years, Baron Pierre de Coubertin proposed the idea of creating a modern Olympic games. This became a reality in 1896 in Athens, Greece. 280 male athletes from 13 different countries traveled to Greece to participate in 43 events.

Since the first modern Olympic games, every four years is measured by a term called an Olympiad. The games have taken place consistently with a few exceptions during wartime (1916, 1940, 1944).

The Olympics are now more inclusive and celebrate athletes of all genders, races, and backgrounds. The Olympics have increased the number of participants over the years, and in the 2012 games in London, around 10,700 athletes from 204 countries competed. Get your kids interested this summer and make sure you tune in on August 5th to the XXXI Olympiad.

Information cited from: http://www.history.com/topics/olympic-games (click to learn more).