The Olympic Games. Every four years it captures our attention
as we watch athletes from around the world compete for the highest honor in sports.
But how much do you really know about the Olympic games and its history?
When did it all start and how did it become the global spectacle we see today?
In this video we will answer these questions and much more
and explore the fascinating history of the Olympic Games. But first...
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Okay, let's talk about the origins of the Olympic Games.
Based on historical evidence the first ever Olympic event was held in Greece in 776 BC.
The event was held at Olympia and was part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus,
the father of Greek gods.
At the time it only involved one competition. It was a foot race called Stadion,
which strangely was also the name of the building the race was held in.
And as you may have guessed already, that's where the word stadium comes from.
Fun fact by the way,
the winner of that race, the first ever recorded Olympics, was a cook named Coroebus.
He only received an olive branch as a prize
but of course that didn't matter since the real prize
was the honor of winning the competition.
After the first Olympics, the Games were held every four years.
And over the next decades more competitions were added,
including wrestling, chariot racing, discus, and the javelin throw.
The Olympic Games developed
and became the most important sporting event in ancient Greece.
But around the middle of the second century BC, the Roman Empire conquered Greece.
And the Roman Empire's influence gradually took away the significance of the Games.
Eventually around 400 AD, the Roman Emperor Theodosius banned the Games.
This decision was largely due to the fact that
Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire.
And the religious association of the Olympic Games to honoring gods such as Zeus
didn't align with the beliefs and ideology of the Roman rulers.
And that was it
This ban marked the end of the ancient Olympic games.
For the next 15 centuries, the Olympic Games disappeared.
That is until 1896, when this man, Pierre de Coubertin, reintroduced them to the world.
He was a French aristocrat who was interested in education and history,
and he was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games.
He wanted to bring the Olympics back as an international competition,
and in his efforts to do so, he formed the International Olympic Committee( IOC) in 1894.
After that, he tirelessly continued to work,
organizing meetings and making connections to gain support
from various countries and athletes.
And in 1896, with the support of influential figures and nations,
he finally managed to organize the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
And this marked the beginning of a new era of international competition.
The 1896 Olympic Games were much smaller in scale
than the Olympic Games we watch today.
The Games included only 43 events, with 241 male athletes from 14 countries.
And all participants were either from the US or Europe.
To put that in perspective,
the 2024 Paris Olympics features 10,714 athletes
from 204 countries and a total of 329 events.
By the way, another fun fact here
Did you know that there were no gold medals at the 1896 Athens Olympics?
Yes, that's true.
Back then, winners got silver medals, and those who came in second received bronze.
It wasn't until the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, eight years later,
that gold medals became the top prize.
And another interesting fact is that
the 1904, 1908 and 1912 Olympics are the only Olympic Games
where the winners received solid gold medals.
After that, all gold medals were mostly made out of silver, but with a gold coating.
After the 1896 Olympics, the modern Olympic Games continued to be held every four years
and each time hosted in a different country.
And with every new event, the Games changed and grew.
Let's have a look at some of those changes and inspirational moments
and important milestones in the history of the modern Olympics.
1900
The Paris Olympics, in 1900, were the first modern Olympic Games to feature female athletes.
1913
In 1913, Pierre de Coubertin designed the iconic Olympic symbol that we know today.
The five interlocking colored rings that represent the continents.
And if you are wondering why these colors were chosen,
that's because at least one of these colors appeared on the national flag
of each participating country at the time.
1916
The games were cancelled because of the first world war,
but they did continue in 1920 in Belgium.
1936
The Olympic games were held in Berlin with Adolf Hitler trying to use the games
to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority.
This was an attempt that somewhat backfired
when African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens
became the most successful athlete of the games
by winning four gold medals in track and field.
This was a record that remained unbroken for the next 48 years.
The 1936 Olympics also marked the first Olympic torch relay.
The idea was to light a flame at Olympia, and carry the torch all the way to Berlin.
You might wonder why they did this.
Well, the ancient Greeks believed that fire was a gift from the gods
and they used it in religious ceremonies.
The torch relay keeps that tradition alive, linking the ancient and the modern games.
1940 and 1944
The games were cancelled again because of the second world war.
and continued after a 12 year haitus in 1948.
1952
A record 5000 athletes from 69 countries attended the games.
This was the first Olympic games in the cold war era
and the Americans managed to top the Soviet Union in medal counts.
and 1960
An inspirational moment in Olympic history when Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila
became the first black African gold medal winner when he won the marathon.
Now this is interesting
he set a new world record and he did it while running the entire marathon barefoot.
As you can see there are so many important milestones and moments in Olympic history.
Listing all of them would probably require an entire series of videos.
But the point is that the Olympics are such a big part of our modern history.
When you look back at Olympic events,
each reflects the geopolitics, cultural transformations and global events of their time.
Whether it was the protest of black Americans, Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968
to show solidarity with oppressed black people, or whether it is the
or whether it is the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympics
which highlighted China as a new emerging power in the world
countries, groups and individuals always see the Olympics
as much more than just a sporting event.
Whether we like it or not, the Olympics have also served
as one of the biggest stages for making statements to the world
and bringing attention to critical issues.
Throughout history, athletes and nations have used the Games to highlight social injustices,
political conflicts, and cultural achievements
reminding us that the Olympics are more than just a competition.
They are a reflection of our shared human experience.
And as the Games continue in the future
it's interesting to see
how they will adapt and grow and reflect the ever-changing world we live in.
Thank you for watching this video
and if you enjoyed it, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment.
I will see you in the next video, and until then
keep studying
keep improving.
and stay motivated
Bye

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