What the Last Paris Olympics Looked Like in 1924
Athletes last took over the City of Lights a century ago to vie for the honor of Olympic glory. Paris had hosted the Olympic Games 24 years prior as the international competition was first becoming established and while 1900 was an admirable attempt at a respectable tournament—not without its chaos—it was the 1924 Games that helped propel the Olympics into the future.
The participating nations jumped from a paltry 29 delegations at the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games to an impressive 44 nations, from as far as South America and South Africa. It marked the beginning of the Closing Ceremony tradition and the first appearance of the now-hyper-promiscuous Olympic Village. It also embraced modernity and welcomed the first-ever live broadcast of a multi-national sporting event on the airwaves, boasting more than 1,000 journalists in attendance.
As Europe was still reeling from the devastation of World War I, predictably, Germany was once again not invited to participate.