07/04/2026
Almost exactly 130 years ago, on April 6, 1896, the first Olympic Games of the modern era opened in Athens!
🏛️ The ceremony took place in the Panathenaic Stadium, which had been restored for the occasion and was filled with tens of thousands of spectators. King George I of Greece declared the Games open, marking the start of a competition that had not been held since ancient times.
A total of 241 athletes from 14 countries participated in this first edition. The events took place over several days and covered nine disciplines and 43 events, including track and field, gymnastics, swimming, shooting, and fencing. At that time, women were not yet allowed to compete. Their future participation would owe much to the commitment of Alice Milliat, who fought to open access to competitions and sports in general for women!
🏃The most memorable moment of these Games was the marathon, an event created specifically for these Games as a nod to ancient history. It was won by the Greek athlete Spyridon Louis, whose victory sparked great enthusiasm across the country.
This revival of the Games was spearheaded by the Union of French Athletic Sports Societies, and in particular by its secretary general: Baron Pierre de Coubertin, whose story you can discover on our website!
Convinced of the role of sport in shaping individuals, Pierre de Coubertin organized an international congress in Paris in 1894, during which he proposed reviving the Olympic Games. The project was adopted, leading to the creation of an organization tasked with organizing the Games, with the goal of establishing a regular competition open to multiple countries: the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Two years later, this initiative came to fruition in Athens with the holding of the first Olympic Games of the modern era from April 6 to 15, 1896.
Photo credits: International Olympic Committee (IOC) - Olympics.com
![[ 🇫🇷 French version bellow]📍 Rue de Varenne, Paris, France📅 In 1908, Alice Milliat moved to Rue de Varenne in Paris, bri...](https://img4.gyms1.com/413/346/122193481154133466.jpg)
