The foremost sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games have grown from a quaint idea of the 1890s to a major world happening. This unique reference work shows the historical context in which each of the Olympic games has taken place. Divided into sections on the Summer Games and the Winter Games, the book includes chronologically arranged entries on each of the games from 1896 to the Olympics planned for 1996, 1998, and 2000. Entries focus on such information as site selection, political questions, controversies, collateral events, changes in programming, and political and economic consequences of the games. Adding another dimension, the appendixes provide biographical profiles of the members of the International Olympic Committee and an entry on the United States Olympic Committee. The volume also provides information on Olympic films and a general bibliography.