11 of the most historic Summer Olympic Games

As the birthplace of the Olympic Games, Greece reignited the ancient event by hosting the first modern Olympic Games. The Athens 1896 Olympic Games were held in the Panathenaic Stadium, a structure dating back to 330 BC.
 

Athletes representing 14 nations, including Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain, took part in 43 events, but it was the USA that made modern history. James Connolly won the triple jump, earning him the title as the first Olympic champion in over 1,500 years.

The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were one of the most controversial games in history. Just a few years before the start of World War Two, the Nazi regime was in full swing, and Adolf Hitler officially opened the event. Many nations threatened to boycott the event, and three athletes refused to participate.
 

The Berlin 1936 games were important for a variety of reasons - it was the first time the Olympic Games were broadcast on television, and we saw the first Olympic torch relay from Olympia (Greece) to Berlin. Most significantly, though, were the standout athletes: the USA's Jesse Owens won four gold medals in track and field events, while the USA's Marjorie Gestring made history as the youngest female gold medallist in Summer Olympic Games history.

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The Olympic Anthem made its debut at the Olympic Games in 1960. With Rome's mighty ancient past, it made sense to make use of its mighty ancient structures, with sports events taking place at the likes of the Basilica of Maxentius and the Caracalla Baths.
 

It wasn't all things ancient, though, as the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome was a year for creating history. As Abebe Bikila crossed the finish line under the Arch of Constantine, the Ethiopian athlete not only won the marathon bare-footed, but also made history as the first Black African Olympic champion.

In 1976, the Summer Olympic Games were hosted in Canada for the first time. The host city saw 29 countries boycott the event due to apartheid in South Africa, but the games were also remembered for the athletes' remarkable achievements.
 

Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, earned a world-first: a perfect score of 10.0 in the gymnastics arena for uneven bars; Cuban runner Alberto Juantorena achieved an unprecedented 400m and 800m double victory; and the USA's Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) won gold in the decathlon.

In 2012, London hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the third time in history. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park held a huge spectacle, from its impressive opening ceremony to the closing celebrations. Some 10,500 athletes representing 204 countries took part in the 2012 Olympic Games, including female athletes representing Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Of course, it was the athletes who stole the show. Great Britain's Jessica Ennis (heptathlon), Greg Rutherford (long jump) and Mo Farah (10,000m) won gold medals in the space of one day that became known as 'super Saturday'. The London 2012 Olympics also saw Jamaica's Usain Bolt beat his own Olympic records as he won three gold medals in track events, while the USA's Michael Phelps dominated the swimming field with four gold and two silver medals.

2024 marks the third time that Paris has hosted the Olympic Games; the French capital city also hosted the Summer Olympics in 1900 and 1924. The Paris 2024 Olympics will debut breakdancing as a new sport, and in total will see 10,500 athletes compete across 329 events.

Taking place between 26 July to 11 August 2024, the games are being held across 35 venues in Paris and further afield, from beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower Stadium to football at Bordeaux Stadium. With an action-packed schedule, the Paris Summer Olympic Games are certainly one to watch.