Tug of war was an Olympic event between 1900 and 1920.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. There were 311 male but no female competitors.

The 1912 Olympics was the last time that gold medals were solid gold.

Liechtenstein has competed in the most summer Olympics (16) without winning any medal.

The Phillippines has competed in the most summer Olympics (20) without winning a gold medal.

Greece is the only country to have participated in every olympics under its own flag.

The five Olympic rings represent the five major regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceana, and every national flag in the world includes one of the five colors, which are (from left to right) blue, yellow, black, green, and red.

No Olympic steeplechase silver medalist, male or female, has lived past the age of 41.

There have been three Olympic games held in countries that no longer exist.

The record for the most Olympic medals ever won is held by Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina. Competing in three Olympics, between 1956 and 1964, she won 18 medals.

Host Greece won the most medals (47) at the first Olympic Summer Games in 1896.

China did not win an Olympic medal until 1984. At the 2008 Beijing games, the chinese won 100 medals.

Chris Evert won 125-straight matches on clay, from aug. 12, 1973 to may 12, 1979. Amazingly though, that run included just two French Open titles.

Speed skater Bonnie Blair has won six medals at the Olympic Winter Games. That's more than any other American athlete.

At the first modern Olympics, winners were awarded silver medals.

Only four athletes have ever won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games: Eddie Eagan (United States), Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany), and Clara Hughes (Canada).