The 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens were the first to be held in the modern era. They featured athletes from 14 countries across nine sports. The Olympics were regarded as a great success and helped establish the tradition of the modern Games. A German gymnast won the most events, while a Greek athlete won the marathon, delighting the home crowd.

3. The 1896 Summer
Olympics, officially known as
the Games of the I
Olympiad, was a multi-sport
event held in Athens,
Greece, from April 6 to 15,
1896. It was the first
international Olympic Games
held in the Modern era.

4. 1896 Olympics Games were
regarded as a great success.
They were celebrated in
the Panathinaiko Stadium, the
only Olympic stadium used in
the 1800s.
The highlight for the Greeks
was the marathon victory by
their compatriot Spyridon
Louis.
The most successful
competitor was a
German gymnast Carl
Schuhmann, who won four
events.

5. On April the 6th the games of the First Olympiad were officially
opened. The Panathinaiko Stadium was filled with about 80,000
spectators, including King George I of Greece, his wife Olga, and their
sons. Most of the competing athletes were aligned on the infield,
grouped by nation. After a speech by the president of the organizing
committee, Crown Prince Constantine, his father officially opened the
Games with this sentence:
"I declare the opening of the first international Olympic
Games in Athens. Long live the Nation. Long live the
Greek people."

7.  Athletics
 Cycling
 Fencing
 Gymnastics
 Shooting
 Swimming
 Tennis
 Weighlifting
 Wrestling

9. On the morning of Sunday April 12, King George organized a banquet
for officials and athletes. During his speech, he made clear that, as
far as he was concerned, the Olympics should be held in Athens
permanently. The official closing ceremony was held on Wednesday
the 15th.
Afterwards, the king awarded prizes to the winners.
The King then formally announced that the first Olympiad was at an
end, and left the Stadium, while the band played the Greek national
hymn and the crowd cheered.

10. AUSTRALIA CHILE GERMANY
AUSTRIA DENMARK GREAT BRITAIN
BULGARIA FRANCE GREECE

11. HUNGARY SWITZERLAND ITALY
SWEDEN UNITED STATES

12. Ten of the 14 participating nations earned medals, in addition to three
medals won by mixed teams.
During these inaugural Olympics, winners were given a silver medal,
an olive branch, and a diploma, while runners-up received a copper
medal, laurel branch, and diploma. The IOC has retroactively assigned
gold, silver and bronze medals to the three best placed athletes in each
event to comport with more recent traditions.

13. Women were not allowed to
compete at the 1896 Summer
Olympics. However, one
woman, Stamata Revithi, ran
the marathon course on April
11, the day after the men had
run the official race.
Although she was not allowed
to enter the stadium at the
end of her race, Revithi
finished the marathon in
about five hours and 30
minutes.

14. And that’s all about the Olimpic Games in Athens – 1896.