Showing posts with label stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stamps. Show all posts

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Who Was At The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

Olympics Stamps : United Kingdom - 1948: King George VI commemorative mail stamp printed in the UK on the occasion of the London Olympic Games of 1948
Photo of U.K. stamp commemorating the 1948 London Olympics courtesy 123rf.com

Many famous people from all walks of life participated in the ancient Olympic Games including Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Demosthenes, Hippocrates, and other physicians, philosophers, musicians, artists, historians, poets, and more.  Married women were not allowed to attend the games until after Kallipateira the Pherenice taught her son the art of fighting and trained him for the games, where he won and she was discovered in attendance dressed as a man, and thereafter all women were allowed to attend.  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The First Winter Olympics

Winter Olympics : LAOS - CIRCA 1987: stamp printed by Laos, shows biathlon, circa 1987. Stock Photo
1987 stamp from Laos depicting the biathlon
Photo courtesy 123rf.com

On this day in 1924, the first Winter Olympics began in Chamonix, France, which is in the French Alps.  The closing date was February 5.  The events were biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating.  For more information, videos, and photos from the 1924 games, click here.

My favorite winter sport to participate in is cross country skiing.  What is yours?  (You can leave comments below.)