The Olympics: A Very Peculiar History™

Take a glimpse behind the gold medals and victory laps to see some of the strange, the unbelievable, and the downright bizarre events that make the Olympics very peculiar, indeed!
 
What would you have seen if you’d attended the Olympics in 472 BC? Did you know that some athletes ran wearing a helmet that weighed 50 pounds—that is, if they weren’t naked? Or that combatants actually died in the ring? From its beginnings in Ancient Greece to the present day, the Olympic Games have always been thrilling . . . but they’ve also always been a little peculiar. Discover the fascinating history of this exciting spectacle, complete with statistics, biographies, and records, along with entertainingly quirky stories and weird facts.