First Olympic Games — 776 BCE

The first recorded Olympic Games took place in 776 BCE at Olympia, in the western Peloponnese of Greece, honouring the god Zeus. The initial programme consisted of a single foot race (the stadion, roughly 192 metres). Over centuries the Games grew to include wrestling, chariot racing, the pentathlon, and boxing. Held every four years, they became so important that warring Greek city-states observed an Olympic truce (ekecheiria) to allow athletes and spectators safe passage. The Games continued for over 1,000 years until the Roman emperor Theodosius I abolished them in 393 CE.

Some scholars argue athletic festivals at Olympia predate 776 BCE, but this is the earliest date recorded in ancient Greek historical records.