Revival of the Olympics

Dormant for centuries, the Olympic Games were revived in 1896 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin of Paris.

As addressed in class, several factors in the late 1800s made the social and sporting climate conducive for a revival of the Games ... not the least of which was the Baron's affection for the English sporting ideal as explempified in the book Tom Brown's School Days. The semi-fictional accounts of vigorous exploits by the boys at Rugby (and the leadership of legendary headmaster Dr. Thomas Arnold) made a strong impression on the Olympic pioneer.

For a thumbnail (and somewhat sanitized) overview of each set of modern games as a supplement to class notes, visit the IOC website.