What Are the Summer Olympics? book cover
  • World History

What Are the Summer Olympics?

Which of these facts are true?
The very first Olympic Games took place more than 2,700 years ago
An Olympic swimmer went on to play Tarzan in the movies
An American gymnast competed on a sprained ankle—and won a gold medal


Back in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honor and respect to their homelands.

The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold.

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