After an absence of millennia, the first Modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in which city?

It was a fitting tribute to the ancient origins of the Olympic Games that the first international competition in modern history was held in Athens, Greece. After a hiatus of more than 1,500 years, the games were revived through the efforts of French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin and the newly formed International Olympic Committee. At a congress in Paris in 1894, Athens was unanimously chosen to host the inaugural event, directly linking the modern games to their historical birthplace. The opening ceremony took place on April 6, 1896, a date chosen to coincide with the anniversary of Greece's independence.

The central venue for the games was the Panathenaic Stadium, a remarkable structure built entirely of marble on the site of an ancient Greek stadium. Thanks to the financial backing of Greek benefactor George Averoff, the stadium was renovated for the 1896 games. In this historic setting, 241 male athletes from 14 nations competed in 43 events across nine sports. More than 65% of the athletes were Greek, but the international participation was the largest of any sporting event to that date.

The 1896 Games were considered a resounding success, capturing the world's attention. An American, James Connolly, became the first Olympic champion in over a millennium when he won the triple jump. However, the highlight for the enthusiastic local supporters was the victory of Greek shepherd Spyridon Louis in the marathon, a new event created for the modern games. This triumph, combined with the overall success of the event, helped to solidify the future of the Olympic movement.