Berlin, 1936 Olympic Games
The 1936 Olympic Games were held in Berlin, Germany. Berlin was also selected to host the Games in 1916, but the event was canceled due to WW1. They had to wait until 1936 to get the chance again. Germany again hosted the Olympic Games in 1972 in Munich.
Trivia
- In 1936, the chairman of the organizing committee for the Games, Carl Diem, suggested what is now the modern Olympic Torch relay.
- The 1936 Olympics were also the first to be broadcast on a form of television. Twenty-five big television screens were set up in theatres throughout the city, allowing the locals to follow the Games free of charge.
- A star of the 1936 Games was Jesse Owens. Jesse won four gold medals, showing up German claims of Aryan superiority. The real name of the great USA sprinter was James Cleveland Owens. As a boy he was known as 'J.C.' because of his initials. That was until a new teacher mistook the sound of J. C., and began calling him 'Jesse'. The name stuck.
- Hitler banned alcohol from the Olympic Village in 1936 but permission was given for the French and Italian athletes to be served wine with their meals, and after protests the Dutch and Belgian squads were allowed to have beer.
- These Games were the first to be televised, being shown on large screens around Berlin. (see more Olympic firsts)
- Basketball was admitted as an Olympic sport for the first time in 1936. The final was played on a dirt court in the rain, making dribbling impossible. The United States team beat Canada 19–8.
- British rower Jack Beresford set a record by winning his fifth Olympic medal.
- During the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Romanian Boxer Nicolae Berechet was eliminated in the first round of the featherweight class. On August 11, 1936, a few days after match, he died mysteriously of blood poisoning and was buried in Berlin. (see more about Olympic Deaths)
- Denmark's 12-year-old Inge Sorensen won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, making her the youngest medalist ever in an individual event.
- Thirteen-year-old Marjorie Gestring of the United States won the gold medal in springboard diving. She remains the youngest female gold medalist in the history of the Summer Olympics.
Related Pages
- list of sports at the 1936 Olympic Games
- Complete list of Olympic host cities
- Germany at the Olympic Games
- About the canceled Games in 1916 awarded to Berlin.
- Munich Games in 1972
- About the Olympic Stadium in Berlin
- Videos from the 1936 Olympics
- 1936: The Year in Sport
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