The Olympic Games originated in Ancient Greece and were held as early as 776 BC until 393 AD. The modern Olympic Games were revived by Pierre de Coubertin with the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. Two years later, the first modern version of the Games was held in Athens, Greece. For more historical information on the Olympics, please visit the Olympic Reference Sources from the Library of Congress (LOC) .
Every four years, athletes meet in a different host city to compete in events on behalf of their home countries. The XXIX Olympic Summer Games took place from August 8-24, 2008, in Beijing, China. The XXI Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 12-28, 2010, in Vancouver, Canada. The X Paralympic Games (created for those with physical disabilities) will be held from March 12-21, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.
If you are traveling to either the Winter Games or the Paralympic Games, you may wish to view answers to frequently asked travel questions from the Department of State (DOS) .
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is a federally chartered corporation that oversees the U.S. Olympic Team of athletes. On the USOC's website, you will find information on both Summer Sports and Winter Sports , as well as a medal count for the U.S. team from 1896 to the present. In addition, you will find biographies of current athletes .
The Special Olympics
The Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization that helps individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. For more information, please contact the Special Olympics Headquarters .