Olympic (1896-2004) Part 1 of 3

1896 Athens, Greece (I Olympiad)

Opening date: 06 April 1896
Closing date: 15 April 1896
Country of the host city: Greece (GRE)
Candidate cities: The first Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was held in Paris on 18-23 June 1894. It was during the first Session that the city of Athens was selected for the Games of the I Olympiad.

14 NOCs (Nations)
241 athletes (0 women, 241 men)
43 events

Official opening of the Games by: His Majesty The King George I
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: The first athletes' oath was sworn at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The revival of the ancient Olympics attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. On 6 April 1896, the American James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years. Winners were awarded a silver medal and an olive branch. The German athlete Carl Schumann finished in the top five events of three different sports. The people of Athens greeted the Games with great enthusiasm. Their support was rewarded when a Greek shepherd, Spyridon Louis, won the most popular event, the marathon.

1900 Paris, France (II Olympiad)

Opening date: 14 May 1900
Closing date: 28 October 1900
Country of the host city: France (FRA)
Candidate cities: No candidate cities

24 NOCs (Nations)
997 athletes (22 women, 975 men)
95 events

Official opening of the Games by: No official opening.
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: The first athletes' oath was sworn at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The Games of 1900 were held in Paris as part of the Exposition Universelle Internationale - the Paris World’s Fair. The exposition organizers spread the events over five months and de-emphasized their Olympic status to such an extent that many athletes died without ever knowing that they had participated in the Olympics. Women made their first appearance in the modern Games. The first to compete were Mme. Brohy and Mlle. Ohnier of France in croquet. The first female champion was in tennis: Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain. Tennis was one of five sports in which athletes from different nations competed on the same team. The others were football, polo, rowing and tug of war. Alvin Kraenzlein won four athletics events in three days and, on 16 July, Ray Ewry, who had overcome childhood polio, won three championships in one day - all in the standing jump events.

1904 St. Louis, USA (III Olympiad)

Opening date: 01 July 1904
Closing date: 23 November 1904
Country of the host city: United States of America (USA)
Candidate cities: Chicago, Illinois. (Chicago was chosen initially but it was decided to transfer to St Louis after a vote of 14 for and 2 against)

12 NOCs (Nations)
651 athletes (6 women, 645 men)
91 events

Official opening of the Games by: Mr. David Francis, president of Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: The first athletes' oath was sworn at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The 1904 St. Louis Olympics organizers repeated all of the mistakes of 1900. The Olympic competitions, spread out over four and a half months, were lost in the chaos of a World’s Fair. Of the 94 events generally considered to have been part of the Olympic program, only 42 included athletes who were not from the United States. The 1904 Olympics did have a few highlights. They were the first at which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for first, second and third place. Boxing and freestyle wrestling made their debuts. Marathon runners Len Tau and Jan Mashiani, Tswana tribesmen who were in St. Louis as part of the Boer War exhibit at the World’s Fair, became the first Africans to compete in the Olympics. One of the most remarkable athletes was the American gymnast George Eyser, who won six medals even though his left leg was made of wood. Chicago runner James Lightbody won the steeplechase and the 800m and then set a world record in the 1,500m.

1908 London, England (IV Olympiad)

Opening date: 27 April 1908
Closing date: 31 October 1908
Country of the host city: Great Britain (GBR)
Candidate cities: Berlin (GER), Milan (ITA), Rome (ITA). Rome was chosen initially, but the Games were subsequently reattributed to London.

22 NOCs (Nations)
2,008 athletes (37 women, 1,971 men)
110 events

Official opening of the Games by: His Majesty The King Edward VII
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: The first athletes' oath was sworn at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The 1908 Olympics were originally awarded to Rome, but were reassigned to London. At the Opening Ceremony, the athletes marched into the stadium by nation, as most countries sent selected national teams. Archers William and Charlotte Dod became the first brother and sister medalists. Oscar Swahn, aged 60, was the oldest ever competitor to earn an Olympic gold medal, winning the running deer shooting, single shot. 1908 marked the first appearance of diving and field hockey. In the spirit of sportsmanship, the final in middleweight Greco-Roman wrestling between Frithiof Martensson and Mauritz Andersson was postponed one day to allow Martensson to recover from a minor injury. Martensson won. Ray Ewry won the standing high jump and the standing long jump for the third time and became the only person in Olympic history to win a career total of eight gold medals in individual events. The event that caught the public imagination around the world was the dramatic ending of the marathon. After 42 kilometres (26 miles) of running, the first man to enter the stadium was Dorando Pietri of Italy, but he collapsed on the track five times and was disqualified when officials carried him across the finish line.

1912 Stockholm, Sweden (V Olympiad)

Opening date: 05 May 1912
Closing date: 27 July 1912
Country of the host city: Sweden (SWE)
Candidate cities: No candidate cities.

28 NOCs (Nations)
2,407 athletes (48 women, 2,359 men)
102 events

Official opening of the Games by: His Majesty The King Gustav V
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: The first athletes' oath was sworn at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Held in Stockholm, the 1912 Olympics were a model of efficiency. The Swedish hosts introduced the use of unofficial electronic timing devices for the track events, as well as the first use of a public address system. The modern pentathlon was added to the Olympic program. Women's events in swimming and diving were also introduced. Sweden would not allow boxing contests to be held in their country. After the Games, the International Olympic Committee decided to limit the power of host nations in deciding the Olympic program. If there was an unofficial theme of the 1912 Games, it was endurance. The course for the cycling road race was 320km (199 miles), the longest race of any kind in Olympic history. In Greco-Roman wrestling, the middleweight semifinal match between Russian Martin Klein and Finland’s Alfred Asikainen lasted eleven hours. Hannes Kohlemainen of Finland won three gold medals in long-distance running. The most popular hero of the 1912 Games was Jim Thorpe of the United States. Thorpe won the five-event pentathlon and shattered the world record in the ten-event decathlon. One member of the Austrian team that finished second in the team sabre fencing event was Otto Herschmann, who was, at that time, president of the Austrian Olympic Committee. Herschmann is the only sitting national Olympic committee president to win an Olympic medal.

VI Olympiad has been cancelled due to the World War I

1920 Antwerp, Belgium (VII Olympiad)

Opening date: 20 April 1920
Closing date: 12 September 1920
Country of the host city: Belgium (BEL)
Candidate cities: Amsterdam (NED) and Lyon (FRA), who withdrew before the vote.

29 NOCs (Nations)
2,626 athletes (65 women, 2,561 men)
154 events

Official opening of the Games by: His Majesty The King Albert
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic
Olympic Oath by: Victor Boin (water-polo/fencing)
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The 1916 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Berlin, but were canceled because of what came to be known as World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honor the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war. The Opening Ceremony was notable for the introduction of the Olympic flag and the presentation of the Athletes’ Oath. In a performance unequaled in Olympic history, Nedo Nadi of Italy earned gold medals in five of the six fencing events. Ethelda Bleibtrey of the United States won gold medals in all three women’s swimming contests. Including preliminary heats, she swam in five races and broke the world record in every one. France’s Suzanne Lenglen dominated women’s tennis singles so completely that she lost only four games in the ten sets she played. At age 72, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn earned a silver medal in the team double-shot running deer event to become the oldest medalist ever. The 1920 12-foot dinghy sailing event was the only event in Olympic history to be held in two countries. The first race was staged in Belgium, but the last two races took place in the Netherlands because both entrants were Dutch.

1924 Paris, France (VIII Olympiad)

Opening date: 04 May 1924
Closing date: 27 July 1924
Country of the host city: France (FRA) Candidate cities: Amsterdam (NED), Barcelone (ESP), Los Angeles (USA), Prague (CZE) and Rome (ITA).

44 NOCs (Nations)
3,089 athletes (135 women, 2,954 men)
126 events

Official opening of the Games by: President Gaston Doumergue
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: Georges Andr (athletics)
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

At the 1924 Paris Games, the Olympic motto, "Citius, Altius, Fortius", (Swifter, Higher, Stronger) was introduced, as was the Closing Ceremony ritual of raising three flags: the flag of the International Olympic Committee, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation. The number of participating nations jumped from 29 to 44, signaling widespread acceptance of the Olympics as a major event, as did the presence of 1,000 journalists. Women’s fencing made its debut as Ellen Osiier of Denmark earned the gold medal without losing a single bout. Johnny Weissmuller of the United States won two gold medals in swimming on 20 July alone. That same day he earned a bronze medal in water polo. He later went to Hollywood and starred as Tarzan in twelve movies. American swimmer Gertrude Ederle won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. Two years later she caused a sensation by becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel (La Manche) - and in a time almost two hours faster than any man had ever achieved. Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, won five gold medals to add to the three he had won in 1920. His most spectacular performance occurred on 10 July. First he easily won the 1,500m. Then, a mere 55 minutes later, he returned to the track and won the 5,000m. Nurmi’s teammate, Ville Ritola, did not do badly either in 1924: he won four gold medals and two silver.

1928 Amsterdam, Netherlands (IX Olympiad)

Opening date: 17 May 1928
Closing date: 12 August 1928
Country of the host city: Netherlands (NED)
Candidate cities: Los Angeles (USA)

46 NOCs (Nations)
2,883 athletes (277 women, 2,606 men)
109 events

Official opening of the Games by: HRH Prince Hendrik
Lighting the Olympic Flame by: The Olympic flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
Olympic Oath by: Henri Denis (football)
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The Amsterdam Olympics of 1928 were held in an atmosphere of peace and harmony that preceded twenty years of economic uncertainty and war. Perhaps the Games were best exemplified by the experience of Australian rower Henry Pearce. Midway through his quarterfinal race, he stopped rowing to allow a family of ducks to pass single file in front of his boat. Pearce won the race anyway and, later, the gold medal as well. At the Opening Ceremony, the team from Greece led the Parade of Nations and the host Dutch team marched in last. Greece first, hosts last would become a permanent part of the Olympic protocol. Athletes from 28 different nations won gold medals in Amsterdam, a record that would last for 40 years. The number of female athletes more than doubled as women were finally allowed to compete in gymnastics and athletics. For the first time, Asian athletes won gold medals. Mikio Oda of Japan won the triple jump, while his teammate, Yoshiyuki Tsuruta, won the 200m breaststroke. Meanwhile the team from India swept to victory in field hockey. Between 1928 and 1960, Indian teams won six straight gold medals. Another winning streak began in 1928. Hungary earned the first of seven consecutive gold medals in team sabre fencing.

1932 Los Angeles, USA (X Olympiad)

Opening date: 30 July 1932
Closing date: 14 August 1932
Country of the host city: United States of America (USA)
Candidate cities: No other candidate cities

37 NOCs (Nations)
1,332 athletes (126 women, 1,206 men)
117 events

Official opening of the Games by: Vice-President Charles Curtis
Olympic Oath by: George Calnan (fencing)
Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Because the 1932 Olympics were held in the middle of the Great Depression and in the comparatively remote city of Los Angeles, half as many athletes took part as had in 1928. Nevertheless, the level of competition was extremely high and 18 world records were either broken or equalled. The crowds set records too, starting with the 100,000 people who attended the Opening Ceremony. The 1932 Olympics were the first to last 16 days. The duration of the Olympics has remained between 15 and 18 days ever since. Between 1900 and 1928, no Summer Olympics was shorter than 79 days. For the first time, the male athletes were housed in a single Olympic Village. (The women stayed in a luxury hotel.) At the victory ceremonies, the medal winners stood on a victory stand and the flag of the winner was raised. Official automatic timing was introduced for the track events, as was the photo-finish camera. 14-year-old Japanese Kusuo Kitamura won the 1,500m freestyle to become the youngest male in any sport ever to earn a gold medal in an individual event. 21-year-old American Babe Didrikson qualified for all five women’s track and field events, but was only allowed to compete in three. She won the javelin throw and set world records in the high jump and the 80m hurdles. Ivar Johansson, a Swedish policeman, won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Another Swedish wrestler, Carl Westergren, won his third Greco-Roman title, each in a different division. In the spirit of fair play, British fencer Judy Guinness gave up her hopes for a gold medal when she pointed out to officials that they had not noticed two touches scored against her by her final opponent, Ellen Preis of Austria.