Sports: Olympics and Athletes

Team USA celebrates its shocking upset of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Winter Olympics History

The First Winter Olympics In 1924, the first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, with approximately 250 athletes competing for 16 countries in 16 events. Women were only allowed to participate in figure skating (11 competed). Other events included bobsled, cross-country skiing, curling, hockey, military patrol, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating. The […]

John Wooden (center), shown in the 1974 NCAA Tournament title game, coached UCLA to 10 championships./ Rich Clarkson / NCAA Photos via Getty Images

March Madness History

March Madness is the name commonly used for the NCAA Tournament, held annually in March and April to determine the national champion in Division I men’s and women’s college basketball. The tournament is also called “The Big Dance.” In 1939, the first March Madness featured eight teams—Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah State, Villanova, Brown, Wake Forest […]

Damaso Marte, Mark Teixeira #25 (C) and Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees celebrate with teammates after their 7-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

World Series History

1903: First World Series Played The first modern World Series was a best-of-nine series played in 1903 between the American League champion Boston Americans (later Red Sox) and National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The Americans won the final four games to win the championship, 5-3. Boston pitcher Cy Young, MLB’s all-time leader in wins (511), […]

Romania's Nadia Comaneci on the balance beam at the Summer Olympics in 1976.

The Modern Summer Olympic Games: A Timeline

Modern Olympic history is full of heart-thumping victories and painful defeats. But a look back at the 28 Summer Games that have taken place since 1896 also offer a snapshot of geopolitics, a shift in women’s rights and the state of global affairs. From Athens to Rio, in the last 125 years, the Games have […]

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Flashback: Soap Box Derby Mania

Hundreds of thousands tuned in on the radio to the 1936 All-American Soap Box Derby, held in Akron, Ohio. This was only the Derby’s third year in existence, but its popularity soared as America was looking for something to root for, still struggling from the Great Depression. The All-American Soap Box Derby has been held […]

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The Dictators

The 1978 World Cup was hosted by Argentina, which was under a brutal military dictatorship at the time. Discover what really motivated the Argentine players to win the tournament, and some of the controversies they dealt with on their journey to victory.

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The Nearly Men

English Hooliganism had placed a black cloud over the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Find out how the team’s inspiring journey, and heartbreaking loss to West Germany in the semi-finals, helped turn perceptions around.

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The Meltdown

The 1998 World Cup in France featured several high-profile players making memorable mistakes. Discover how David Beckham, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane “melted down” in France.

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The Icon

Learn about Argentina’s Diego Armando Maradona—one of the greatest, and most controversial, icons in the history of the sport.

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The Rout

As the hosts of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil was one of the favorites to win the whole tournament. Discover how that dream turned into a nightmare for the South American nation, when it was handed its biggest defeat in World Cup history at the hands of Germany.

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The Ball

Find out more about how we make soccer balls, from the early days using inflated pig bladders to today’s vulcanized rubber balls.

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The Boots

King Henry the VIII of England wore the first pair soccer boots, but the footwear didn’t kick off until several centuries later. Find out how they became popular, and evolved, in this brief history of football boots.

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