Art, obsession, and identity
The 1924 Olympics were the second time that Paris had hosted the Games. It was also the last Olympics organized under the presidency of the founder.
The 1932 Olympics set in Lake Placid were the first time that the Winter Games had been held outside of Europe. These Games were also the first time that podium ceremonies were introduced.
The Games of 1932 were the first to have an Olympic Village for athletes.
The 1936 Summer and Winter Olympics were the last to be held before World War II. During the Winter Games, alpine skiing was included for the first time.
The Summer Olympics of 1936 were the first ever televised Games. These Games were also notoriously used by the Nazi regime for propaganda purposes.
The Olympics in 1948 were known as the "Games of Renewal" following the events of WWII. Germany and Japan were not invited to compete.
This was the second time that London had hosted the Olympic Games, after playing host in 1908. Much like the Winter Olympics, Germany and Japan did not make an appearance.
Oslo’s Games were the first time that the Winter Olympics were held in Norway. It also first introduced the torch relay for the Winter Olympics.
To this day, Helsinki is the northernmost city at which any Summer Olympics have been held. The most world records were broken at these Games, before Beijing surpassed them in 2008.
In 1956, the Soviet Union competed in the Winter Olympics for the first time, and also took home the most number of medals.
These were the first Games to ever be held in the Southern Hemisphere. But due to Australia’s strict quarantine regulations, Olympic equestrian events were held in Stockholm, Sweden.
The biathlon and women's speed skating events made their Olympic debuts at the 1960 Winter Olympics. The Games were also the first to be televised live.
The first international Paralympic Games were held in Rome alongside the Summer Olympics. The city was meant to host the Olympics in 1908, but had to pass the honor to London following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906.
Although Innsbruck normally experiences heavy snow, the 1964 Winter Olympics saw the Austrian city threatened by lack of snow. Ice bricks were instead transported to the city from nearby mountains.
These Games were the first Olympics held in Asia, and also marked the first time that South Africa was excluded due to the nation’s apartheid regime.
The 1968 Winter Olympics were the first to include drug and gender testing for competitors. East and West Germany also entered separately into the Games.
Not only were the 1968 Summer Olympics the first Games held in Latin America, but they were also the first held in a Spanish-speaking country.
These were the first Winter Olympics held outside of Europe and North America. Despite being the host country, Japan finished the Games with the least number of medals.
The Summer Olympics of 1972 were drastically overshadowed by the Munich massacre, which is still considered one of the biggest disasters in Olympic history.
The US city of Denver was originally expected to host the Games, but Innsbruck became the host after they withdrew. This marked the second time that the Austrian city hosted the Olympics.
To this day, the 1976 Games marked the first and only time that Canada hosted the Summer Olympics.
The Games of 1980 saw the People's Republic of China, Cyprus, and Costa Rica participating in the Winter Olympics for the first time, and it was the second time that Lake Placid played host.
The 1980 Summer Olympics were the first ever held in an Eastern Bloc country. Due to the Soviet Union’s war against Afghanistan, 66 countries boycotted the Games and refused to attend.
The host country of Yugoslavia won its first-ever medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and Austria (usually a formidable contender in winter sports) only earned one bronze medal.
The most financially successful event of the modern Olympics, the 1984 Summer Olympics generated a profit of over US$250 million.
These Games were the last Winter Olympics attended by the Soviet Union and East Germany before they were both dissolved.
The 1988 Summer Olympics saw the return of tennis as an Olympic sport after a 64-year absence. Table tennis was also introduced for the first time.
These Games were the fifth Olympics held in France, and eight nations debuted at the event, including former Yugoslavian republics Croatia and Slovenia.
After a 32-year ban, South Africa was permitted to participate in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The 1996 Summer Olympics were the first time that the Winter and Summer Games were held in different years, although the event was overshadowed by the bomb explosion in Centennial Olympic Park.
The 1998 Winter Olympics saw the introduction of women’s ice hockey and snowboarding as new events, and American figure skater Tara Lipinski became the youngest Olympic gold medalist in history at the age of 15 years and 255 days.
These Games were the second time that Australia hosted the Olympics, and also the second held in the Southern Hemisphere.
The 2002 Winter Olympics, held in the US, was particularly marked by strict post-9/11 security that had never before been seen at the Games.
The 2004 Games saw the event return to the birthplace of the Olympics. It also saw the introduction of women’s wresting as a new event.
These Games were Italy’s first since hosting the 1956 Winter Olympics. Interestingly, the logo of the 2006 Games was meant to depict white and blue ice crystals.
The country of Nepal participated in the Olympics for the first time in 2008, and a surprising 87 countries won at least one medal.
Even though Canada hosted the Games for a third time, 2010 saw the nation earn its first-ever gold medal while being a host.
London became the first city to host the modern Olympics three times, although Great Britain only came third on the medal table, surpassed by China and the United States.
A record-breaking 98 events were held during the Winter Olympics of 2014, and the Games cost a shocking US$51 billion, reportedly.
The 2016 Summer Olympics were the first time that the Games were held in South America, and also the first held in a Portuguese-speaking country.
After a state-sponsored doping program was exposed, the Russian Olympic Committee was suspended and athletes have since been disallowed from competing on behalf of Russia.
For the first time in Olympics history, the 2020 Summer Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the events were held without public spectators. The Games also introduced skateboarding for the first time.
The 2022 Winter Olympics saw Beijing become the first-ever city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.
In 2024, Paris became the second city ever to host the Summer Olympics three times, after London. It also featured break dancing as an Olympic sport for the first time.
The upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics will be the fourth Games hosted in Italy, and will be the first to feature multiple host cities.
The future 2028 Summer Games will be the ninth Olympics to be held in the United States, and LA will also be the third three-time host city after London and Paris.
Sources: (The Olympics) (Colorlib)
See also: The most impressive images from this year’s Olympic Games (so far)
Six new events were introduced at the 1994 Winter Games, including indoor speed skating and short-track speed skating.
The Olympic Rings as we know them first appeared as a hand-drawn illustration in a letter written by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin.
Ever since the Olympic Games were brought back to life, each host country has tried to dominate the Games with their own innovation and style. Among the many logos and designs, the Olympics have truly seen significant visual changes as host countries design their logos to match not only the spirit of the Games, but also their nation’s culture.
So, how has the logo evolved over the decades? What color and character has each nation brought to the table? Click through this gallery as we go on a visual journey of all the Olympic logos from the past century.
How the Olympic logo evolved from 1924 to 2028
A visual journey through time
LIFESTYLE Sports
Ever since the Olympic Games were brought back to life, each host country has tried to dominate the Games with their own innovation and style. Among the many logos and designs, the Olympics have truly seen significant visual changes as host countries design their logos to match not only the spirit of the Games, but also their nation’s culture.
So, how has the logo evolved over the decades? What color and character has each nation brought to the table? Click through this gallery as we go on a visual journey of all the Olympic logos from the past century.