On this day in 1896, the first modern Olympic games began in Athens, Greece. The games were the idea of Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin. He believed an international sports event between amateur athletes would help build peaceful relations between countries. Approximately 300 athletes participated, representing 13 countries.

Where's the Stadium? The Greek government couldn't afford to build a stadium, so a wealthy Greek architect donated one million drachmas (over $100,000) to restore the Panathenaic Stadium ~ originally built in 330 BCE ~ with white marble for the Olympic Games.

Buy A Ticket. The Games were not well publicized internationally. Contestants were not chosen by their countries. Instead, they came individually and at their own expense. Some contestants were tourists who happened be in the area during the Games. Athletes wore their athletic club uniform rather than national team uniforms.

Got Events? Pole vaulting, sprinting, shot put, weight lifting, swimming, cycling, target shooting, tennis, marathon and gymnastics were events at the first Olympics. The swimming events were held in the Bay of Zea in the Aegean Sea.

Cold! Gold medalist, Alfred Hoyos Guttmann described the swim: "I won ahead of the others with a big lead, but my greatest struggle was against the towering twelve-foot waves and the terribly cold water."

Waaaaaay Back In Time. According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles ~ the Roman Hercules. Heracles was the son of Zeus. The first Olympic Games for which we have written records were held in 776 BCE, though it is believed that the Games existed for many years before that.

One Naked Event. At those Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus ~ a cook from Elis ~ won the only Olympic event, which was the stade. The stade was a 210-yard run.

Grow Up. The ancient Olympic Games grew and were played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 AD, Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan origins.

Tan, Rested, and Back. About 1500 years later, de Coubertin went to work reviving the Olympic games. Known as le Rénovateur, de Coubertin first pitched his idea to revive the Olympic Games in 1892. He delivered a fiery speech to a less than enthusiastic audience.

The Little Coubertin That Could. de Coubertin didn't give up. Two years later, he organized a meeting with 79 delegates from nine countries. In an auditorium decorated with neoclassical murals, he spoke eloquently about reviving the Olympic Games. This time, he managed to stir some interest.