The 1896 Summer Olympics were the first international Olympic Games held in modern history. The International Olympic Committee was established in 1894 by a congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin in Paris. The committee appointed the Greek capital Athens as the host city, and the games took place from 6 to 15 April 1896. According to the committee, 14 nations took part, and 241 male athletes competed. The participants were all European, or living in Europe, with the exception of the United States team. More than 65 per cent of the competing athletes were Greek, and Greece won the most medals overall, 47. The athletic highlight for the Greeks was the marathon victory by their compatriot Spyridon Louis. The most successful competitor was the German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann, with four victories. The 1896 Olympics were regarded as a great success, with the largest international participation of any sporting event to that date.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Summer_Olympics> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1887: L. L. Zamenhof published Unua Libro, the first publication to describe Esperanto, a constructed international language. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._L._Zamenhof> 1936: The Canadian National Vimy Memorial, dedicated to Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed in the First World War, was unveiled in Pas-de-Calais, France. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Vimy_Memorial> 1953: The Battle of the Samichon River, the last engagement of the Korean War, ended a few hours before the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Samichon_River> 2007: After widespread controversy throughout Wales, Shambo, a black Friesian bull that had been adopted by the local Hindu community, was slaughtered due to concerns about bovine tuberculosis. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambo> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: Olympic Valley: 1. A valley formed by the river Alpheus, Ilia, Greece, site of Olympia. 2. An unincorporated community in Placer County, California, United States. 3. A valley in the Sierra Nevada, Placer County, California, United States, named after this community. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Olympic_Valley> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: I have given my heart and my soul to our nation, like so many others. And I have been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you. The great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. We just have to keep faith — keep the faith and remember who we are. We are the United States of America, and there is simply nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. So, let’s act together, preserve our democracy. --Joe Biden <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
