Back in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honor and respect to their homelands. The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold. Contents What are the Summer Olympics? The ancient Games, 776 BC-AD 393 The modern Games begin: late 1800s The Olympics grow: the early 1900s New Games: news stars, the 1920s Politics enter the Games: the 1930s After the war: late 1940s and 1950s Time for change: the 1960s Munich and Montreal: the 1970s Dives and drugs: the 1980s Dreams lost and found: the 1990s A new century: the 2000s At the close Movies about the Olympics Timelines Isbn: 9781484476505