The 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, drew a total of 8.3 million spectators (often referred to as the “Centennial Olympics”). The previous record holder was the 1972 Munich Games with 9 million visitors.
The IOC estimates that the total number of people who attended at least one event during these Olympics was approximately 740 million, which means that they were both at their highest ever level of participation and also their most watched Olympic Games ever.
The majority of tickets for the Atlanta Games were made available to US residents through an electronic ticketing system called OMEGA. These tickets could be used for either the opening or closing ceremonies or for any of the events within those two days. In total, about 1.6 million tickets were issued, with each spectator able to attend up to four events during the course of the fortnight. The average price of a ticket was $105.00 ($ when adjusted for inflation).
Some countries are allocated fewer tickets than others when they qualify for the Games. Countries that have never won an Olympic medal cannot expect to receive many opportunities to do so by just showing up at the games. Instead, they make use of what few seats they are given by inviting athletes to compete for them.
Atlanta, Georgia hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996. The Summer Olympics returned to the United States a dozen years later, when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Games. For the first time in Olympic history, all 197 recognized national Olympic Committees competed. There were two formats for the competition: a single-elimination tournament and a series of round-robin groups. The US team won both events, claiming five of the six available medals.
The Atlanta Olympics were the first in which women competed as equal partners with men. This fact is often overlooked by those who believe that modern feminism began at the 1968 Mexico City Games. It is true that some women’s sports were included in Atlanta after they had been excluded from Mexico City, but many other women’s sports were added to the program for the first time at Atlanta. In addition, several men’s sports that had never before been included in an Olympic tournament were staged for the first time at Atlanta, including baseball and softball.
In 1996, Congress passed legislation authorizing the President to send athletes from American territories to the Olympics if they so chose. Thus, the Atlanta Olympics were also the first Olympics to include representatives from Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
Another unique aspect of the Atlanta Olympics was their focus on education. Programs were developed to encourage youth participation in sport and health promotion activities.
The Athens 1896 Olympic Games were a sporting event held in Athens from April 6 to 15, 1896. The modern Olympic Games initially took place at the Athens Games. As many as 280 competitors, all male, from 12 nations competed in the first modern Olympics. France and Great Britain sent teams but they both lost their first two matches and did not advance further in the tournament.
The second edition of the Olympic Games was held in Paris from August 20 to September 2, 1900. A total of 1,574 athletes from 33 countries participated in the event, which was officially known as the International Olympiade. France was the most successful country with 57 medals (36 gold, 21 silver, and 10 bronze). Germany came next with 27 medals (18 gold, 9 silver, and 0 bronze). United States and Canada tied for third place with 10 medals each (both countries won four times).
The third edition of the Olympic Games was held in London from July 24 to August 8, 1908. A total of 2,463 athletes from 77 countries participated in the event, which was officially known as the Olympic Games Iberian Peninsula because Spain and Portugal shared the same territory at that time. France had the most representatives with 462 athletes, followed by Russia with 239 and United States with 177. China’s delegation was limited to only three participants due to the death of one of its athletes during the opening ceremony of the games.
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