Alternating between summer and winter every two years during the four years, the Olympic Games are an international sports festival created to unite countries through sports and contribute to world peace. At such a highly publicized event where athletes represent their home countries, we also bear witness to many memorable moments that leave an impact on history.
A Brief History of The Olympics
The history of the Olympic Games stretches to some 2,300 years ago in the Olympia area of Ancient Greece. According to numerous theories made by historians, the purpose of the games was to worship gods through a festival of art and sport. Though, due to war outbreaks occurring in the area in 393 AD, the ancient Olympic Games ended.
The modern Olympic Games made their triumphant return in 1894, thanks to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator, who proposed the revival of the games at the International Congress in Paris. The proposal received unanimous approval, and the first modern games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece.
Iconic Moments of The Olympics Throughout History
The focal point of the Olympic Games is sports. However, the games have spawned several monumental moments that have since spurred a positive change in the world. So, with the 2024 games set to be held in Paris this summer, let’s take a look back at some of those moments.
Female Athletes Allowed to Participate For The First Time
The 20th century saw countless societal changes in which a handful of firsts would take place as people fought to be seen as equals regardless of gender, race, religion, etc.
The 1900 Paris Summer Olympics became a monumental year for women as they were allowed to compete as athletes for the first time. In total, 22 female athletes competed in tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism, and golf that year.
Another significant milestone for women occurred 112 years later with the addition of women’s boxing in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. It marked the first time women were allowed to compete in every sport in the Olympic programme.
The First Time Paralympic Athletes Competed
While having a disability may impair a person’s ability to interact with the world, it doesn’t mean that they’re incapable of achieving greatness.
During the 1948 London Summer Olympics, athletes who used wheelchairs were allowed to compete in the games for the first time.
The idea of having paralympic athletes came from German-English doctor Ludwig Guttman, founder of the International Wheelchair Games, who helped rehabilitate injured World War II veterans through sports therapy. Inviting wheelchair-using athletes to compete in the games led to the establishment of the modern Paralympics Games, the first of which was held during the summer in Rome in 1960.
The Black Power Salute
An unforgettable moment of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games is the Black Power Salute. While on the podium, gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos, both African American athletes, raised a black-gloved hand during the US National anthem in silent protest against the systemic oppression of Black people. The salute marked a defining moment, not just for the Olympic Games, but also in the history of civil rights activism.
Yet, the International Olympic Committee condemned both athletes by suspending them from the US team and promptly sent them home. However, the backlash Smith and Carlos endured didn’t end there. Both athletes continued to be subjected to scrutiny and were shunned by the media and the American world of sports throughout the following years.
Although their courageous protest came at a high cost, the two were honoured with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award 40 years later in 2008 for their contribution in transcending sports.
The Brief Reunification of North and South Korea
The first Olympic Games of the new Millennium saw a brief reunification for North and South Korea.
What was once a single country, North and South Korea were created due to conflict during World War II. The relationship of both countries would become even more strained during the Korean War. While some improvements to their relationship have transpired since then, there’s still a long way to go.
The 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics marked a milestone for the two countries as they walked together united as one during the opening ceremony. The Korean athletes from both sides walked side-by-side under a “unification flag,” displaying a blue map of the Korean Peninsula while a Korean folk song played in the background.
The two countries would reunite and march together again for the opening ceremonies of the 2004 and 2006 games.
Now, with the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics around the corner, many are eager to discover what new iconic moments will grace their television screens in just a few weeks time.