More than 2,700 years ago, in the year 776 BCE, the first Olympic Games took place in Olympia, in ancient Greece. The Games were held every four years in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods.
At first, there was only one event: a short running race, about 190 meters long. Over the years, the Greeks added more sports, like wrestling, boxing, horse racing and the long jump.
Only free Greek men could compete. The winners did not get gold medals. Instead, each winner received a crown made of olive leaves. It sounds like a small prize, but back home the winners were treated like heroes.
The ancient Games continued for more than a thousand years. Then they stopped, and for many centuries there were no Olympic Games at all. In 1896, a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin brought them back to life. The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens, with athletes from 14 countries.
Today, athletes from more than 200 countries take part. The Olympic flag has five rings, which stand for the five parts of the world that come together at the Games.