The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years and lasted for five days. In the beginning, the games only had one event, the stadion race.
The modern Olympic Games were revived by Pierre de Coubertin in 1896. Athens, Greece, hosted the first modern Olympics, where 241 athletes from 14 countries participated.
The lighting of the Olympic cauldron is a significant ritual in the modern Olympic Games. Today, the flame is lit in Olympia, Greece, using a parabolic mirror to focus the heat of the sun.
The first Olympic medals, awarded in the 1896 Athens Games, were silver in color. Gold medals were introduced in the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, while bronze medals were added in 1908.
The Olympic torch relay was first introduced in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The flame is ignited in Olympia, Greece, and carried by various runners to the host city, symbolizing the unity of the games.
The first Olympic mascot, Waldi, was introduced in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Since then, each Olympic Games has had its own unique mascot, designed to represent the events host country.