The Olympics (286 BCE, Greece): The Olympics began in 776 BCE in the ancient Greek city of Olympia as a religious festival paying tribute to Zeus. The Games gradually expanded to include several sports, and for the instances they were held, became a symbol of peace among warring Greek city states . At Olympia, athletes competed for glory, and olive wreaths while crowds of spectators came together to watch the events. They occurred every four years, and the Olympiad was actually where we got our divisions of time. But, they were removed in 393 CE due to the Christian rise and decrease on pagan yielding.
The Olympics were reborn in a modern form in 1896 under the leadership of Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The initial modern Games were held in Athens, providing a maelstrom of international attention to athletic competition. Now, the Olympics espouse global brotherhood and world peace in a platform for more than 200 countries to send thousands of their athletes to compete. On the grandest stage…celebrating human performance on a global scale…our cultural touchstone…the Olympics.