Ancient Games

Olympic Games Logo

All of you must know Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games occurring every four years but two years apart. History Olympic games was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games which were held in Olympia, Greece between 8th century until 4th century AD. according to www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. At that time, they were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia.

The place called Olympia is the site of the ancient Olympic Games, western part of the Peloponnese according to Greek mythology. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and ancient sporting facilities were combined in a site of unique natural and mystical beauty. Olympia functioned as a meeting place for worship and other religious and political practices as early as the 10th century B.C. The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic temple of Zeus, with the temple of Hera parallel to it.

The modern Olympic Games are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions wherein thousands of athletes variously compete. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating.[2] The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.

Picture 1: An artist's impression of ancient Olympia

List of Olympic Host Cities

Year	City	Country
1896	Athens	Greece
1900	Paris	France
1904	St. Louis	United States
1906	Athens	Greece
1908	London	United Kingdom
1912	Stockholm	Sweden
1916	Berlin	Germany
1920	Antwerp	Belgium
1924	Paris	France
1928	Amsterdam	Netherlands
1932	Los Angeles	United States
1936	Berlin	Germany
1940	Tokyo	Japan *cancelled due to World War II
1944	London	United Kingdom *cancelled due to World War II
1948	London	United Kingdom
1952	Helsinki	Finland
1956	Melbourne	Australia
1960	Rome	Italy
1964	Tokyo	Japan
1968	Mexico City	Mexico
1972	Munich	West Germany
1976	Montreal	Canada
1980	Moscow	Soviet Union
1984	Los Angeles	United States
1988	Seoul	South Korea
1992	Barcelona	Spain
1996	Atlanta	United States
2000	Sydney	Australia
2004	Athens	Greece
2008	Beijing	China
2012	London	United Kingdom
2016	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil
2020	Tokyo	Japan