Olympic Games
Events > Olympics > Summer > Hosts
Host Cities of the Modern Olympic Games
-
When choosing locations for the Olympic Games, the IOC specifically gives the honor of holding the Games to a city rather than a country. -
An Olympiad is a period of four successive years. The Olympic Games celebrate each Olympiad. For the modern Olympic Games, the first Olympiad celebration was in 1896. Every four years celebrates another Olympiad; thus, even the Games that were cancelled (1916, 1940, and 1944) count as Olympiads. The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens was called the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad.
-
Because of World Wars, there were no Olympic Games held in the years 1916, 1940, or 1944.
-
Three continents – Africa, South America, and Antarctica – have never hosted an Olympics.
Related Pages
-
See the complete list of Olympic Host Cities
