The Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. in the the valley of Olympia in Greece. The games were held every four years for nearly 1200 years. The table below describes the year and location for the modern games. Beginning in 1994, the Winter games take place two years from the Summer games, thus, every two years will be an Olympic year.

Olympic Facts

• The team from Greece always enters first in honor of the origin of the games.
• The hosting country always enters last.
• The Olympic torch is carried to the hosting country from Greece by a series of runners.
• The five interlocking rings represent Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe.
• The gold and silver metals are actually plated.