Special Report

The Paris Olympics

Prepare yourself for the Paris Olympics with this comprehensive guide to the history, science, arts and thrills of the worldwide celebration

Olympic rings are seen on the Eiffel Tower near the restored statue of "Cavalier Arabe" on the Pont d'Iéna bridge in Paris on July 4, 2024, ahead of the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Geoffroy Van der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images

More than just a place to eat, many French country bistros offer lodgings and sell local produce. But the transactions of greatest value are the social ones, in which locals come together over a meal or a drink to discuss everything from pressing politics to idle gossip.

Will the Bistro Save France's Rural Villages?

The Phrygian cap derives its name from the ancient region of Phrygia, in what is now Turkey. Also known as a liberty cap, it inspired revolutionaries in both the Colonies and France.

The Paris Games' Mascot, the Olympic Phryge, Boasts a Little-Known Revolutionary Past

Attendants assist Thomas Hicks, an American runner who consumed strychnine, egg whites and brandy during the race.

How the 1904 Marathon Became One of the Weirdest Olympic Events of All Time

Recent Coverage

These colorful rings could become a permanent fixture of the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Mayor Wants to Keep the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower

Julia Binswanger

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass waves an Olympic flag on her return from the closing ceremony of the Paris games on August 12, 2024.

Can a City Known for Its Freeways and Gridlock Deliver a Car-Free Olympics? Los Angeles Thinks So

Jay L. Zagorsky, The Conversation

Ami Yuasa faces off against India Sardjoe during the women's quarterfinal on August 9.

Breaking Just Made Its Olympic Debut. Will It Return in 2032?

Margherita Bassi

American sprinter Noah Lyles rang the Paris 2024 bell after winning the men's 100-meter final.

These Olympic Gold Medalists Get to Ring a Bell Bound for Notre-Dame

Athletes sit in front of a cabin in the Olympic Village at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

How the Olympic Village Evolved From Makeshift Cabins to a City Within a City

An 1838 illustration of Pindar, the lyric poet from ancient Greece, reciting one of the Olympian odes

Poetry Was an Official Olympic Event for Nearly 40 Years. What Happened?

After delays and months of uncertainty, triathletes finally took the plunge into the Seine River in Paris.

Olympians Finally Got to Swim in the Seine River

Performance artist Abraham Poincheval stands inside a giant glass bottle on the Canal Saint-Denis.

French Performance Artist Seals Himself in a Giant Bottle for Ten Days Outside Paris' Olympic Stadium

Julia Binswanger

Members of the U.S. team participate in the opening ceremony at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

At the 1960 Olympics, American Athletes Recruited by the CIA Tried to Convince Their Soviet Peers to Defect

Johnny Weissmuller (left) and Duke Kahanamoku (right) at the 1924 Paris Olympics

At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Tarzan Faced Off With the Ambassador of Aloha

David O. Stewart

From the Archives

Interest in gymnastics soared during the Cold War, when the Olympics emerged as a cultural battleground for Western and Eastern nations.

A History of Gymnastics, From Ancient Greece to Tokyo 2020

Will an American athlete from the Tokyo Games grab gold and become the next to be featured on the cover of Wheaties?

How Wheaties Became the 'Breakfast of Champions'

A mural in Munich's former Olympic Village features Otl Aicher's pictograms.

This Graphic Artist's Olympic Pictograms Changed Urban Design Forever

Made of fermented vegetables, kimchi was popularized globally during the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

How the 1988 Olympics Helped Spark a Global Kimchi Craze

The Games may not exist at all were it not for the perseverance of the Brits.

The Little-Known History of How the Modern Olympics Got Their Start

The National Aquatics Center is where Michael Phelps earned his eight gold medal during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Today it's been transformed into the Happy Magic Water Cube, one of Asia’s largest waterparks.

Four Olympic Stadiums With Unexpected Afterlives

Scenes from the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The Rise of the Modern Sportswoman

A few of the Olympians pose for a photo upon their return to the U.S. after the 1936 Games. In the back row, on the far right is Tidye PIckett and third from the left is Louise Stokes.

Sports History Forgot About Tidye Pickett and Louise Stokes, Two Black Olympians Who Never Got Their Shot

Esther Williams, Million Dollar Mermaid

Synchronized Swimming Has a History That Dates Back to Ancient Rome

“Even the greatest things in the world need attention when they’re not as strong as they could be. It was a cry for freedom,” says Tommie Smith of his silent act at the 1968 Olympics.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

What You Don’t Know About Olympian Tommie Smith’s Silent Gesture

United States athletes at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Who Really Composed NBC's Olympic Theme? Not Who You Think

Chuck Taylor All Star, circa 1957

How Chuck Taylor Taught America How to Play Basketball

Pankration scene: the pankriatiast on the right tries to gouge his opponent's eye; the umpire is about to strike him for this foul.

The Ancient History of Cheating in the Olympics

Fanny Blanker-Koen crosses the finish line to become the first triple champion of the 14th Olympic Games.

How Fanny Blankers-Koen Became the 'Flying Housewife' of the 1948 London Games