1948 London Olympics poster
1948 opening ceremony at Wembley
The Olympic flame is lit
July 29th 1948: Olympics open in London
On this day in 1948, the Games of the XIV (14th) Olympiad officially began in London. The Games were the first Summer Olympics after World War Two, which had caused a twelve year hiatus of the Games as the world was ravaged and divided by warfare. The last Olympics had been held in 1936 in Berlin under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. The 1948 Games became known as the Austerity Games as they were held while Britain struggled in a post-war economy; in order to save money the festivities were held in Wembley Stadium, with no new venues built. 59 nations took part in the competition, with the notable exceptions of wartime aggressors Germany and Japan who were not invited, and the Soviet Union who declined participation. There were 4,104 participating athletes - including only 390 women - and the United States won the most medals with 84, and the most gold medals with 38. These historic Games began on this day in 1948 and were officially opened by King George VI, who was the father of the current Queen Elizabeth II. In 2012, the Olympics returned to London for a third time, 64 years after the landmark 1948 games.
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