The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are finally happening in Japan, a whole year after they were meant to take place! Are you excited, gang?! Let’s celebrate this astonishing event, by taking a look at ten top facts about the Olympics…

PSST!

Don’t miss the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on your screens from Friday 23rd July to Sunday 8th August.

Facts about the Olympics…

1. The first Olympic Games took place in 776BC

The original Olympics began as part of an Ancient Greek festival, which celebrated Zeus, the Greek God of sky and weather. The whole competition lasted for up to six months, and included games like wrestling, boxing, long jump, javelin, discus and chariot racing.

facts about the olympics | a cartoon of a man on a chariot, being pulled by a feisty horse. he is brandishing a sword.

2. In 393 AD, the Olympic Games were cancelled and didn’t start up again for over 1,500 years!

Emperor Theodosius I, a Roman ruler, banned the Greek Olympics due to the religious element of the celebration. He considered the Olympics to be a pagan festival, which had no place in his Christian country.

So, that was the end of the Olympics until 1896, when a man named Baron Pierre de Coubertin started a revival of the Games. He called this new event the ‘modern Olympics’ – and it’s still going today!

a man just crosses the bar of a high jump. behind him, a crowd of thousands cheers from a stadium

3. The Olympic torch is a reminder of the Games’ Greek origins

In ancient times, a flame burned throughout the Games as a tribute to the goddess, Hestia. Since 1928, this tradition has continued in the modern Games, but instead of an altar, the flame burns in a special torch.

The torch flame is always lit by the sun in Olympia, Greece, as this is where the first Greek Games was held. Then, it’s passed from torch to torch in a massive international relay that ends in the host city – wow! New torches are designed for each Olympics, and several thousand copies are made. It’s a great honour to become a torchbearer, and lots of inspiring people get a turn each time.

facts about the olympics | a torch burns against the night sky

DID YOU KNOW?

Lit Olympic torches have flown on planes, stayed alight underwater, and scaled Everest! Some unlit torches have even gone into space, too. Amazing!

4. The first Summer Olympic Games had just 14 participating countries

Teams from 11 European countries originally joined those of Australia, Chile, and the USA at the first host city, Athens. Now, more than 200 countries compete in the Olympics each year!

facts about the olympics | a row of flagpoles flying flags from countries that are at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

5. The Olympic symbol was designed to include everyone!

The Olympic rings were first produced in 1913, from a design created by the Games’ modern founder – Baron Pierre de Coubertin! Their five colours (along with the white backdrop) reflect colours found on the flags of all participating nations, so everyone is represented. The overlaps also represent international cooperation, and the coming together of athletes from all over the world – cute!

Facts about the Olympics | five interlocking rings - a blue, yellow, black, green, and red

6. Motor boat sailing, hot air ballooning, and tug of war all used to be Olympic sports!

Over time, different sports and events are voted into (or out of) the Olympic Games. Some disappear, then return (like golf, or rugby), while others (like running deer shooting, or duelling pistols) go out of fashion forever – thankfully!

facts about the olympics | a surfer just emerges along a wave, as it breaks behind them

DID YOU KNOW?

Four new sports are making their debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Look out for skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing, and karate!

7. The first Winter Olympic Games were held in 1924, in a different city to the Summer Olympics.

At first, the Winter Olympics took place in the same year as the Summer ones, but organisers soon realised that it made more sense to hold them in different years! As a result, the Winter Olympics now occur two years after the Summer Olympics. Nice!

facts about the olympics | a snowboarder flies through the air

8. From 1921-1948, artists participated in the Olympics too

In these games, painters, sculptors, architects, writers, and musicians all took part! They competed for medals by creating works of art, that often celebrated the sporting successes going on at the same time. While artists stopped officially competing in 1948, many still design posters and other merchandise for the Games today!

Facts about the olympics | a hand holds a gold medal

9. Until 1912, first-place Olympic medals were made of solid gold!

Possibly one of our favourite facts about the Olympics! Sadly though, it’s no longer the case. Recent Games have given out around 5,000 bronze, silver, and gold medals in total – that’s a lot of metal! So instead of being created from solid gold, the heavy first-place medals are now covered in 6 grams of it.

DID YOU KNOW?

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, medals will contain parts of old electronics, in an effort to make the Games more sustainable. Japanese citizens are donating these materials by recycling their old devices – cool!

10. The modern Olympic Games aren’t just about sporting glory – they’re about making friends, too!

While competitive spirit is important, the Games are also about international cooperation. They’re a great chance for people from countries around the world to meet up and get to know each other! For the 16 days of competition, athletes from all sports, religions, nationalities and cultures live and work together – and they often leave as good friends. Aww!

four young athletes, each wearing a gold medal, stand together smiling

Did you enjoy our top ten facts about the Olympics? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Likes

LEAVE A COMMENT

Customize
your avatar

THANK YOU

While you wait for it to be checked and approved why not to add a pre-selected message and a cool badge

WELL DONE,
YOUR COMMENT
HAS BEEN ADDED!

COMMENTS

  • Emery

    This really helps, thank you National Geographic Kids!

  • Eric

    Wow!

  • great

  • Emmalyn

    You’re cool

  • Malachy

    Thanks it helped a lot

  • Mithilesh

    Superb

  • li-lou

    The Olympics is my dream! Going for the Paris Olympics 2024!!!

  • blayden

    cool

  • iDk bUt iTs nIcE fAcTs wHiCh i lIkE

    This will definitely help with my project ☻

  • Gemma

  • Cool!

  • rtrusteer

    good

  • Jessica

    SO AMAZING FACTS

  • vaylana2

  • Micah

    Cute!

  • Kk

    Cool

  • locksniff

  • cool

  • Fathima Sayana

    It's lovely

  • Never safe from waluigi

    Nice

  • Amirah

    amazing

  • Ann lynch

    Really helpful for my 11 year old students

  • lachlanhackier

    cool

  • Plany

    Bow wow great stuff over there.

  • Mrbeast

    Wow

  • ben

    wow

  • e

    Love the website

  • ian

    those are cool facts

  • Mr Penguin

    Cooool

  • SylviaNguyen

    Cool! Make facts about rainbows!!

  • Nathan

    I already saw it... and it was AMAZING go AU

  • Mr Shark

    These fact are so cool!

  • Birdy.

  • Mads

  • ivy

    there was some cool facts

  • Hi

    Soo cool

  • Boss

    I can't wait

  • Mahrus Najid

    good

  • RockstarRocky

    Loved it

  • Ehhh

    good text

  • ......

    Cool

  • awesome

  • This is Interesting to read! I definitely enjoyed that!! :):):) :):):):):):):):):):)!!!!

  • Lakyah

    Cool

  • Colour of lights

    Amazing facts and SUPER COOL

  • RAINBOW STAR

    COOL

  • ........

    snazzy

  • the olimpics are so awesome!

  • WOW!!

  • husseinjw

    Cute facts.. Loafs i dint know.... Its perfect for kids

  • maousen2

    wow so cool amazing

  • MrRomeoPlays

    Wish the medals were still made of solid gold! But now its just 6 grams of gold :(.

  • Flossy

    so cool wish i was in the Olympics nice

  • thanks for this i needed it for public speaking! totally usisng the gold medal fact to start it off!

  • jeffery bazos

  • UwU

    i love the olimpics i watch them every night when there on

  • xXC00KIEZXx

  • Cool

  • Cool

  • bca

    wow

  • So Cool

  • COOLDUDE

    WOW!!

  • sawani

    omg l didnt see!

  • ryden

    not bad

  • DevoonaBanana

    Yea its cool! I wonder why they stopped making medals out of gold tho :/

  • jess

    nice

  • ethan

    wow

  • liam

    cccoooooooooollllll

  • PlasmaFanMonkeyClub

    Awesome Thanks National Geographic kids for this really helped my work and the fact are amazing so again thank you for this post.

  • Kingsley

    :/ artists stopped competing Cool!

  • maia

    wow

  • DJakoet

    cool

  • thing

    great

  • Marko

    Cool!

  • bob

    these are realy amazing facts

  • fernando moleli 685

    whaaaaaaaatttt

  • Kyala

    Knowledge

  • Yansbao

    epic

  • o

  • EDP kids

    Ok

  • Raisa

    Love it

  • Zanzooni

    it is soo cool

  • Zanzooni

    cool

  • Greg

  • Jayden

    I love the Olympics

  • CRETURE

    This Was an amazing website 10/10

  • The big man

  • PEPPY PINK PUPPY

    Cool! what interesting facts !

  • Parker

  • Shakeel Naicker

    Love the info!

  • ted

  • Bob

    I didn't know that!

  • Old man

    I love the olympics

  • Sussy Buka

    Love It Amazing!!!!!

  • Sus

    I thought the first Olympics was 1896?

  • Good

  • Lexi

    I found it very interesting to read

  • hi

    awsome

  • whoa

  • Bayswater

  • F5A64DB

    Wow

  • Thomas

    love this

  • themysteriousthing456

    cool

  • that_poopy123

    I really liked your facts! I will recommend them to my friends!

  • Zane

  • Aaaah

    Can't wait

  • JP25785

    cool

  • Joe

  • Koda

  • zeebisk1t

    I absolutely LOVE the Olympics! What interesting facts! My favourite sport is the high jump and my favourite athlete is Tatjana Schoenmaker.

  • Awesome

  • love it

  • Jojo

    They were all very interesting!

  • Bandi and Tilly

    I Loved the Olympics

  • Inaayah Altaf

    I love the Olympic Games

  • Gylf

    Really interesting and good! Highly reccomended.

  • the.one.and.only

    go Australia I watched every second of the Tokyo Olympics

  • Hi

    Hi

  • JZ

  • Secret too

    NICE!

  • Something

    INTERESTING

  • Luca Blakeborough

    Woah go NZ

  • oscarx1fe

    great

  • it was very intresting and informative

  • Ryan

    That was great.

  • Arnavv Ghate

    Hello everyone, I love Olympics alot !!!I am in The sport shooting...I always practice and have a dream about participating in Olympics...Now I have passed my state matches..!..

  • Zaara

  • Zaara

  • Zaara

  • Zaara

  • Zaara

  • Aryaman Gupta

    These Were Some Amazing Facts!! Never new that the olympics torch had even been is Space!

  • Olympics

    The Olympics is Bomb and I support my nationalities!!!

  • Labhya

    Great facts thanks

  • lola

    super

  • Super

  • Indy.Conwell

    Go AUSSIES!! and thanks for the informal texts about the Olympics. I love the Olympics, Question which team does everyone go for me AUSSIE!!

  • secret

    i love the olympics i love watching people running th4x100 metre race its so exciting

  • cinamon sugar cream

    hey yall

  • Jasmine

    I really liked reading the info about the olympics and I really enjoyed it! Great Job.

  • KAI

    VERY COOL

  • Jamie Mcnab

    I loved this

  • YaQi

    great i was gonna do a quiz about olympics so i read this

  • I love the olympics

  • I love the olympics

  • Jeremiah

    I love watching the olympics, it is so awesome!!!

  • Wolf girls

  • Wolf girls

  • mando

    cool facts! it' sad though that hot air ballon isn't an Olympic sport anymore. that was sounds awesome

  • drchin02

  • Karla

    Thanks

  • Yuvi

    Amazing

  • Liam

    Awesome!!!!!

  • Maccas

    Wowwwwwww

  • Secret

    It was very fun learning about the Olympics! Thank you!!!

  • UnicornLol

    Cool

  • Elise

    It was very informal with lots of detailed facts

  • Sasha

    I love the olympics

  • Yeetamus

    GO AUSSIES!

  • Wooww

  • COOL

  • sarah

  • ella

    cool

  • herobrine

    so cool! cant wait for your next one

  • Helen

    I did not know there were Winter Olympics

  • Shriya

    I loved it so much and i a'm interest ed

  • Leban_Shibu

    LOVED IT!!

  • something

    interesting

  • Cool

  • Harrison, Lakyn

  • shark

    COOL!!!

  • Evie

    Good

  • Evieg

    Wicked

  • noah

    great facts

  • Cooper

    Very helpful information

  • cool

    cool

  • Pro

    Wow so cool

  • georgia!

    wow

  • Luna

    Very cool! I love national geographic, its my fav!

  • cool

  • Ivy

    These were all interesting facts. Thanks!

  • wow wow wow wow so interesting

  • Steve smith

    Why can't I be in the Olympics doesn't anyone agree like cricket should be in the Olympics

  • tim

  • aimee

  • Steve smith

  • bob

    cool

  • bob

    amazing

  • Cool

  • Bob

  • Raymond

    So intresting!

  • wow!

  • Omyra

    wow wow wow

  • leo

    wow

  • Ninja

    This was very helpful for me thank you

  • cool

  • Awesome facts

  • Imogen

  • Ryan

    Cool

  • parth

  • I can't wait to watch sky brown competing for team GB in skateboarding.

  • Awesome!

  • ReaderRooROO

    Cool

  • good

  • Zoom

    Good

  • Kaia Montgomery

  • daft

  • raf

    we will and we can

  • isaac

    coolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

  • BELLETHEBOOKWORM

    I LOVED THE FACTS THEY WERE AWESOME!

  • Ireda

    I'll check it out!!

  • WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Laser

    I like basketball Hahahhahahahahhahahahahahah

  • Benny boi

    I’m so good at kakaing

  • kool kid

    epic

  • wow

  • koko

    wowowowowowowowow

  • HungryTiger

    WONDERFUL

  • xavier

    cool

  • Potato Head

  • awsome

  • Potato Head

    nice

  • You is

  • You is

  • Jimmy

    Cool

  • Jimmy

  • Jimmy

  • hi

  • mia

    amazing

  • Sudarkodi

    Cool Facts!

  • student

    Amazing!

  • andy

  • David

    Cool

  • kevin22938

  • Ayden

    Amazing

  • Owen

    Cool!

  • person

    cool

  • Good

  • Patrick

    The facts were great

  • Awesome!

  • Wow

  • Babablacksheep

    Nice

  • Stella

  • Hi

    Amazing

  • Izzy prins

    I love the nat geo magazines!

  • ShellGL

    Great Effort Guys!

  • Cool

  • corby

    can't wait!

  • Chloe

    I did not know most of those facts

  • b

  • Cool !!!!!

  • Wow

  • lol

  • justin

    cool

  • Big Bob

    I didn't know that in 1912 in the first-place olympic medals were made out of solid gold! BY BIG BOB

  • Chhavi Jain

    WOW! Super

  • Sirius

    Cool but could have more facts

  • Jacob

  • Chadox

    Awesome!

  • the man

  • Super

  • elijah t

  • Max

    Wow!

  • ARCHER

  • Hvbj

    Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • I like the story of the Olympics because it’s really interacting.

  • Natupu

    I really like all the information that you put in for the Olympics I know no that the Olympic were banned in 1835

  • nithin104

    Nice

  • Cool

  • Cool

  • cool

  • Jose Victoriano Seguerra

    Hope Philippines can host Olympic Games soon.

  • Eve

    Cool they were some amazing facts

  • sceeeeeehnece

  • Arnav

  • Lovely

  • rasmcoop26

    its so cool to now know this stuff because I didn't know it.

  • ryan

    cool can not wait

  • OOOH THERE IT IS

    Oh wow such cool facts OMG love them I’m a shark :D

  • Giraffe Harlee :) :)

    Hi!

  • Deer crossed with bird

    Cool!

  • Elizabeth

  • Sunny

    Wow i can belive the medals are made out of electronics

  • Ananya

  • A

    Interesting

  • Sophia

  • Nice! Can't wait for the OLYMPICS!

  • Willow

    Cool

  • Zara

  • Thats so cool!I didn't know most if these facts.

  • Hi

    Hi

  • uyi

    cool

  • ruthann

    I it was instring to me

  • Cool

  • isaac

    so coooooooooooooooool!

  • these fact where good for my report

  • car92070

    wow great facts

  • hi

    nice

  • Knox rush

  • Knox rush

  • Knox rush

  • Adeline

    wow

  • Telz

    I so am entering the Olympic Games

  • Iris

    It says at the end that it's all about the athletes making friends, but with COVID, I wonder if that is possible or whether they will have to isolate.

  • Ellie

    Great ideas!!!

  • bob

    hi

  • these were cool!!!

  • wow!

  • ploopy

    nice

  • purpleleopard111

  • anaxply

  • Great Facts!!!

  • Skye

    These facts are so cool

  • Olivia

    Cool

  • I am really exited for skateboarding because sky brown is on the GB team at only 13 years old she is so amazing at skateboarding and inspired me to have a go at it to

  • Isabel

    These were really cool facts.

ADVERTISEMENT
ANZ subs takeover March 2020 MPU

More Like Greece

SPONSORED

Home Is Good

Get messy, explore and appreciate nature, all from the safety of home!
Greece

The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece!

Meet the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece!
Greece

5 terrifying tales from Greek mythology

Meet the mythical monsters from Ancient Greece!
Greece

10 facts about Ancient Greece

Learn all about this super-cool civilisation!
Greece

Max on Mount Olympus!

Join Max the time-travelling mouse in our Mini Histories Comic…