The 1896 Summer Olympics marked a historic moment in sports history as the first international Olympic Games held in modern times.

The games were organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), founded by Pierre de Coubertin, and took place in Athens, Greece from 6th to 15th April 1896. The event saw the participation of 241 male athletes representing 14 nations, primarily European countries. However, the United States was the only non-European country represented in the games.

The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens served as the primary venue for athletics and wrestling, while other venues included the Neo Phaliron Velodrome for cycling and the Zappeion for fencing. The opening ceremony was held at the Panathenaic Stadium on 6th April, during which most of the competing athletes were aligned on the infield, grouped by nation. The ceremony began with a speech by the president of the organizing committee, Crown Prince Constantine, followed by the official opening of the Games by his father. An Olympic Hymn composed by Spyridon Samaras, with words by poet Kostis Palamas, was also performed during the ceremony.

The highlight of the games was the marathon victory by Greek athlete Spyridon Louis, which was celebrated by the home crowd. German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann was the most successful competitor, winning four events. The United States won the most gold medals, 11, while Greece won the most medals overall with 47. Winners were given silver medals, runners-up received copper medals, and third-placed athletes were awarded bronze medals.

Olympics the of 1896 were widely considered a great success, with the largest international participation of any sporting event to that date.

Despite petitions from several prominent figures, including Greece’s King George and some of the American competitors, to hold all future Games in Athens, the IOC chose Paris as the location for the 1900 Summer Olympics. It wasn’t until 2004 that the Olympics returned to Greece, 108 years later, for the Summer Olympics held in Athens.