The Olympic Games began long ago in Greece. The ancient Games were held in Olympia and lasted for about 1,200 years. Then they came back. A Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, led the effort to bring the Games back. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded in 1894. It became the governing body of the modern Games. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. They took place in the Panathenaic Stadium. It was first built in 330 B.C. The 1896 Olympics had 43 events, including swimming, cycling, fencing and tennis. At those Games, the winner got a silver medal and an olive branch.

Many people think the marathon was a race in the ancient Olympics. It was not. The ancient Olympics never had a marathon. Their longest race was 24 stades. That is about 2.85 miles. A friend of Coubertin, Michel Bréal, suggested the marathon race to him. The first Olympic marathon, in 1896, was set at about 40 kilometers. A Greek runner, Spyridon Louis, won it. The marathon distance of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) was first used at the 1908 Olympics in London. Women ran in an Olympic marathon for the first time in 1984.

Greek leaders wanted Athens to be the permanent Olympic host. You may have heard that the Games are always held in Greece. In fact, the IOC decided to rotate the host city. An Olympiad is a period of four years. The Summer Olympic Games happen every four years. Women could not take part in the ancient Olympics. Only men from Greece could compete. There were no women's events. Women first competed in the modern Olympic Games in Paris in 1900. They took part in track and field for the first time in 1928.

Pierre de Coubertin designed the Olympic rings in 1913. The Olympic symbol is five rings linked together. According to many accounts, the five rings represent five continents joined together. The flag has six colors, including its white background. They were chosen so that every national flag has at least one of them. The Olympic flag was flown at the Games for the first time in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920. The Olympic Oath was first spoken at those 1920 Games, too. Electronic timing and the photo finish were first used in Stockholm in 1912. At the 1928 Olympics, a flame burned over the stadium for the first time during the Games.

The first Olympic Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Winter Olympic events include figure skating, ice hockey and bobsledding. The 2026 Winter Olympics were held in northern Italy in February 2026. Paralympic Games are held right after the Olympic Games in the same host city. The word Paralympic comes from the Greek word para, meaning beside, because the Paralympics happen alongside the Olympics. The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy, in 1960. As of November 2026, the next Summer Olympics are planned for Los Angeles, California, in 2028.

Words to know

• ancient: very old
• marathon: long running race
• Paralympic: beside the Olympics
• permanent: always staying
• rotate: take turns