By: History.com Editors

1924

Paris hosts its second Olympic Games

History.com Editors

Published: April 24, 2024

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

On May 4, 1924, more than two decades after Paris hosted its first Olympic Games in 1900, the French capital launches its sophomore Olympics, becoming the first city to host the Games twice. The 1924 Paris Olympics, the seventh occurrence of the modern Olympic Games, signals the acceptance of the elite international sporting competition as a major, global event with worldwide appeal.

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The 1924 Paris Olympics—held in the City of Lights as a tribute to Pierre, baron de Coubertin, the retiring president of the International Olympic Committee—drew 44 participating countries, a big increase over the previous 29. More than 1,000 journalists from around the world covered the Games, in which 3,088 athletes competed in 126 events. This was the first Olympics that featured women’s fencing.

Notable athletes at the 1924 Games include American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, who won three gold medals and one bronze, and went on to win two more golds in 1928; Weissmuller later starred as Tarzan in movies. Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi won an historic five gold medals. American Helen Wills won gold medals in singles and doubles tennis events; tennis was later dropped from the OIympics and did not return until 1988. American Richard Norris Williams, a tennis player who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912—and barely missed having his legs amputated—won mixed doubles gold.

The 1924 Paris Olympics—which ran May 4 to July 27—became famous in pop culture decades later, as the subject of the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. The movie is based on the true story of British runners Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on May 4th

1776

Rhode Island becomes first colony to renounce allegiance to George III

On May 4, 1776, Rhode Island, the colony founded by the most radical religious dissenters from the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony, becomes the first North American colony to renounce its allegiance to King George III. Ironically, Rhode Island would be the last state to ratify the new American Constitution more than 14 years later on May 29, 1790.

1865

President Lincoln is buried in Springfield, Illinois

On May 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln is laid to rest in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois.

1886

The Haymarket Square Riot

At Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, a bomb is thrown at a squad of policemen attempting to break up what had begun as a peaceful labor rally. The police responded with wild gunfire, killing several people in the crowd and injuring dozens more.

Engraving of a scene from the Haymarket Riot

1904

U.S. officially acquires Panama Canal, takes over construction

A ceremony on May 4, 1905 marks the official beginning of the U.S. acquisition of the Panama Canal. After the French had failed in completing the canal, this second effort will succeed in bridging the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, dramatically altering world trade as well as the physical and geopolitical landscape of Central America.

1916

Germany agrees to limit its submarine warfare

On May 4, 1916, Germany responds to a demand by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson by agreeing to limit its submarine warfare in order to avert a diplomatic break with the United States.

1929

Legendary actress Audrey Hepburn is born

On May 4, 1929, Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston—who will one day be better known to legions of film fans as Audrey Hepburn—is born near Brussels, Belgium.

1948

Norman Mailer’s first novel, “The Naked and the Dead,” is published

Twenty-five-year-old Norman Mailer’s first novel, The Naked and the Dead, is published on May 4, 1948. The book is critically acclaimed and widely considered one of the best novels to come out of World War II.

1956

Gene Vincent records “Be-Bop-A-Lula”

On May 4, 1956, rockabilly legend Gene Vincent records the smoldering early-rock classic “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” in Nashville, Tennessee.

1959

Ella Fitzgerald becomes first Black woman to win a Grammy Award

"First Lady of Song" Ella Fitzgerald becomes the first Black woman to win a Grammy at the Recording Academy’s inaugural awards show on May 4, 1959.

1961

The first Freedom Ride departs from Washington, D.C.

On May 4, 1961, a group of thirteen young people departs Washington, D.C.’s Greyhound Bus terminal, bound for the South. Their journey is peaceful at first, but the riders will meet with shocking violence on their way to New Orleans, eventually being forced to evacuate from Jackson, Mississippi but earning a place in history as the first Freedom Riders.

1966

Willie Mays breaks National League home run record

On May 4, 1966, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays hits his 512th career home run to break Mel Ott’s National League record for home runs. Mays would finish his career with 660 home runs, good for third on the all-time list at the time of his retirement.

1970

National Guard kills four students in Kent State shootings

On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, 28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students, wounding eight and permanently paralyzing another. The tragedy was a watershed moment for a nation divided by the conflict in Vietnam, and further galvanized the anti-war movement.

National Guard Troops Force Students from Campus

1979

Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first female prime minister

Margaret Thatcher, leader of the Conservative Party, becomes Britain’s first female prime minister on May 4, 1979. The Oxford-educated chemist and lawyer took office the day after the Conservatives won a 44-seat majority in general parliamentary elections.

1990

Electric chair malfunctions in Florida, leading states to change execution methods

Jesse Tafero is executed in Florida after his electric chair malfunctions three times, causing flames to leap from his head. Tafero’s death led to a new debate on humane methods of execution. Several states ceased use of the electric chair and adopted lethal injection as their means of capital punishment.

1994

A lawmaker introduces the pun “May the Fourth be with you” on the floor of U.K. Parliament

On May 4, 1994, in a groan-inducing moment on the floor of U.K. Parliament, a lawmaker uses a pun that will spawn its own holiday far, far away from the halls of government.

1994

Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat sign accord for Palestinian self-rule

On May 4, 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat reach an agreement in Cairo on the first stage of Palestinian self-rule.

2002

Nigerian aircraft crashes in crowded city

On May 4, 2002, an EAS Airline plane crashes into the town of Kano, Nigeria, killing 149 people. The Nigerian BAC 1-11-500 aircraft exploded in a densely populated section of the northern Nigerian city.

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History.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.

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Citation Information

Article title
Paris hosts its second Olympic Games
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
March 23, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 24, 2025
Original Published Date
April 24, 2024

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