The first time the Olympics were held in 776 BC on Mount Olympus. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded in 1894 in Paris. It acts as the umbrella organization of the Olympic. Its headquarter is at Lausanne (Switzerland). The Olympic symbol contains five rings as circles, representing the five continents.
The first game under the auspices of IOC was held in 1896 in Athens. Separate winter Olympic started in 1924 and first Paralympics were held in 1960.
The youth Olympic game meant for 14-18 year age of player was held for first time in Singapore 2010.
The Olympics of Ancient Greece featured mainly athletic, but also combat and chariot racing events. During the Olympic Games, all struggles among the participating city-states were postponed until the games were finished. According to legend, it was Heracles who first called the Games "Olympic" and established the custom of holding them every four years.[4] The most widely accepted date for the beginning of the Ancient Olympics is 776BC; based on inscriptions of the winners of a footrace held every four years starting then.[5] The Ancient Games featured running events, a pentathlon (consisting of a jumping event, discus and javelin throws, a foot race and wrestling), boxing, wrestling, and equestrian events.
There is no agreement on when the Games officially ended, but many historians think it is 393AD, when the emperor Theodosius I declared that all Pagan religious practices should end.[8] Another date might be 426AD, when the next emperor Theodosius II ordered the destruction of all Greek temples.[9] After the Olympics stopped, they were not held again until the late 19th century.
Over time, the Olympics have become bigger. In old times, women were not allowed, but now there are women's events. As well, the Olympics became bigger with the addition of the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. World War I and World War II led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. As the decision-making body, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responsible for choosing the host city for each Olympic Games. The IOC is also responsible for choosing what sports are in the games. The creator of modern Olympics is Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
The celebration of the Games includes many rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive, respectively, gold, silver, and bronze medals
2024 Summer Olympics will begin on
Friday 26 July
and ends on
Sunday 11 August
In 1998, it was uncovered that several IOC members had taken bribes from members of the Salt Lake City bid committee for the hosting of the 2002 Winter Olympics. This was done to make sure that Salt Lake City won. The IOC investigated, and four members resigned, and six people were sack.
A BBC documentary entitled Panorama: Buying the Games, aired in August 2004, investigated the taking of bribes in the bidding process for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[45] The documentary claimed it was possible to bribe IOC members into voting for a particular candidate city. After being narrowly defeated in their bid for the 2012 Summer Games, Parisian Mayor Bertrand Delano accused the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the London Bid Committee of breaking the bid rules.[47]
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