One Year Countdown until the London Olympics

This Wednesday marked one year until the start of the London Olympic Games on July 27, 2012. The events will take place in thirty-two venues from July 27 to August 12, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 29 to September 9.

The Olympics have come a long way since their origins in ancient Greece. Though the Games were discontinued in 393 A.D., the idea was revived during the nineteenth century, and the first modern Olympic Games were held 1896 in Athens, Greece. Back then, things were very different; women were not allowed to compete, and the first-place finishers won silver medals, not gold. Only 241 athletes from fourteen countries participated, though at the time this group of countries was the largest number ever assembled for a sporting event. Now in the present day, the London Games of next summer will include 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries competing in twenty-six sports.

Further Reading: The Olympics For Beginners

Celebrating Olympic Day

Every year on June 23, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world celebrate Olympic Day by participating in competitions, runs, educational programming, and all kinds of other activities. The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) has been working to assist communities across the country with their celebrations. Their goal was to ensure that at least one of the 10,000 Olympians and Paralympians in the U.S. would be able to attend each event to share their experiences. Olympic Day encourages fitness and mass participation in sports, along with promoting ideals like fair play, perseverance, respect, and sportsmanship.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved Olympic Day in January of 1948 as a way to commemorate June 23, 1894, the date when the IOC was established through the work of Pierre de Coubertin to revive the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of nine countries held ceremonies for the first Olympic Day, but today people from more than 160 countries are taking part in Olympic Day events.

To brush up on your knowledge of the Olympic Games before the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, take a look at The Olympics For Beginners. It’s a great way to learn more about the history of your favorite sporting events.