The first Olympic Games of the modern era were hosted in the Panathenaic stadium in Athens on April 1, 1896.

116 years ago King George I of Greece proclaimed the opening of the First Modern Olympic Games. This event in fact lifted the ban imposed by the Roman emperor Theodosius I who decreed in 394 that the games be halted.

These Games brought together 245 athletes from 13 countries: Australia, Austro-Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, U.S., France, Chile, Switzerland and Sweden.