By: HISTORY.com Editors

1904

First American Olympiad opens in St. Louis, Missouri

Published: February 09, 2010

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

The Third Olympiad of the modern era, and the first Olympic Games to be held in the United States, opens in St. Louis, Missouri. The 1904 Games were actually initially awarded to Chicago, Illinois, but were later given to St. Louis to be staged in connection with the St. Louis World Exposition. Like the Second Olympiad, held in Paris in 1900, the St. Louis Games were poorly organized and overshadowed by the world’s fair.

There were few entrants other than Americans in the various events, and, expectedly, U.S. athletes won a majority of the competitions and the unofficial team championship. In the field events, the Americans made a near-perfect sweep, winning everything but lifting the bar and throwing the 56-pound weight. Twenty years later, the first truly successful Olympic Games were held in Paris, and since then, with increasing popularity, the games have been held in various cities around the globe.

Flashback: The 1960 Winter Olympics

Revisit the feats of athleticism at the VIII Olympic Winter Games, held in California's Squaw Valley in February, 1960.

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Citation Information

Article title
First American Olympiad opens in St. Louis, Missouri
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
April 23, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 24, 2025
Original Published Date
February 09, 2010

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