A Brief History

Once every two years, the world comes together to participate in the Olympic Games. Originally created as a religious festival in Ancient Greece, the Olympics were held every 4 years to mark an “Olympiad,” which was how they measured dates, instead of years.

In 1894, the modern Olympic Games were presented by a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin and the idea was a huge hit, that the first Olympic Games took place in Athens, Greece in 1896. It wasn’t until 1926 that the Olympic Torch relay took place, but the history behind the flame has been an important part of Olympics since ancient times.

It was a significant part of the games - stemming from the legend of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods - but reintroduced to mean much more in the 20th Century. The flame sparks camaraderie, fierce competition, and promotes life and the strive for perfection.

Modern Importance of the Olympics

The evening new, social media, radio stations, and newspapers: All cluttered with the sadness and tragedies of the world. We see people being forced out of their homes, riots and prejudices tearing people apart, and innocent lives being taken by radicals. Foreign countries are deemed unworthy of our assistance because their ideals are different, buzzwords are carelessly thrown around by the media to scare us into believing whole countries are against us, instead of segmenting out the radicals and violent offenders.

But for 16 days, every two years, the media is overtaken positive world news. New buzzwords. Friendly competition and camaraderie make the headlines. People who have never watched snowboarding care about the 19-year old boy who almost beat Shaun White out of a gold medal. Countries all cheered for Mirai Nagasu as she became one of three females to ever land a Triple Axel during the Olympics.

Regardless of politics, wars, prejudices, or preconceived notions, nations stand together to compete in the Olympic Games. They push their bodies to the limit against the best of the best from around the world. They shake hands, hug, and support each other, as they all have a common goal. Athletes become friends throughout these events. It does not matter their race, gender, ethnicity, political beliefs, religion, or how much money they have. Nations stand side-by-side in friendly competition. For the first time in 65 years, North Korea visited the South, making global headlines. Records are broken, history is made, and athletes stand together to promote their sport and represent their country.

The Olympics prove that we, as humans, can join hands for a greater good. Regardless of what political system is deemed better, which countries are wealthiest, or what war tactics are loomin, the Olympics prove we have the ability to come together peacefully and work towards the same goals. We remain unique, proud of our homeland, competitive, but in tandem with our fellow athletes under one roof, and in front of one unifying flame.

If that mindset was adopted in other aspects on a global platform, we may have a happier world.