Olympic games have unrolled their charm all around the world. This multinational sport event that takes place every 4 years has its own fan base. It’s undeniably the most-watched event on television these days as well. There is a reason why the Olympic games stand elite after all these years. It is due to its unforgettable wonderful earlier days. Likewise, what makes the Olympics such special is the years of nourishment.
We pretty much are in touch with news related to Olympic 2020. But, did you know Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece as many as 3,000 years ago? No need to worry even if you don’t know because this blog brings you every sheer history of the Olympic games.
When and How It Began?
It’s interesting that the main motive of primitive Olympics was to honor the god, Zeus. During the midsummer in 776 B.C. A festival was held at Olympia on the highly civilized eastern coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula. That festival remained a regularly scheduled event. Legend has it that Heracles (the Roman Hercules), son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, founded the Games to honor Zeus. By the end of the 6th century B.C, it had become the most famous of all Greek sporting festivals. Likewise, the games were named for their location at Olympia, a sacred site located near the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula.
Only in 1896, the new modern face of the Olympics took place. Since then the game is produced every four years, except during World War I and World War II (1916, 1940, 1944). It was Baron de Coubertin’s determination and dedicated organization that brought the new face of the Olympics. The first-ever modern Olympics was quite a success. On June 16, 1894, delegates from Belgium, England, France, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United States were in attendance. He advocated the revival of the Olympic Games and extended hands to form an international sports congress. Eventually, the first modern Olympic was held in Greece itself.
Olympics Through The Years
The Olympics truly took off as a wide international sporting event after 1924 in Paris. The event had a commendable number of 3,000 athletes (with more than 100 women among them) from 44 nations that year. That was when for the first time, the Games featured a closing ceremony. Moreover, the Winter Olympics debuted that year. It included such events as figure skating, ice hockey, bobsledding, and the biathlon. No wonder why the year 1924 is the golden era for the modern Olympics.
In 2004, the Olympics returned back to its homeland Greece for the first time in more than a century. That was a special moment when ancient and modern Olympics tied a knot. The major difference between the ancient and the modern Olympics is that the ancient was the way of saluting gods while the modern is for saluting athlete’s talent from all around the world. 11,656 athletes of a variety of ages and nationalities are participating in the ongoing Olympics 2020.
Also Read: Laurel Hubbard: The First Trans Athlete To Compete Olympics
