Parthenon temple, Acropolis of Athens, Greece
© Lucky-photographer/Shutterstoc
Info. The Parthenon temple in the Acropolis of Athens, Greece
The first modern Olympic Games were held 125 years ago in Athens in 1896 – 1,500 years after they were banned by the Roman Emperor. The 1896 Games were held in the Panathenaic Stadium, in the shadow of the Acropolis of Athens, shown here. They included athletes from 14 countries, with the largest delegations from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. The 43 events included a marathon, tennis, cycling, fencing, shooting, Greco-Roman wrestling and swimming. And while some things haven't changed over the years, some were different back then. Swimmers were taken out to sea by boat for the longer races and had to swim back to shore. Winners were given a silver medal (copper for second place), as well as an olive branch and a diploma.
Related Images
Mount Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, Japan
Mount Snowdon and the Llanberis Pass from Dinorwic quarry, Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, UK
Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia
Rocks in the Verzasca River near the hamlet of Lavertezzo in the Valle Verzasca of Switzerland
Colossal limestone statues on Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman, Turkey
Panoramic view of the city of Toledo after sunset, Spain
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Chu Dang Ya near Pleiku in Gia Lai Province, Vietnam
Today Bing
Cherry blossoms and Himeji Castle in Himeji, Japan
