April 6, 1896
The Olympic Games were reborn in Athens 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. The IOC sees as part of their mission as “contributing to the search for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to the conflicts around the world” and claims kinship with the Olympic Truce, which they describe as “. . . established in ancient Greece in the 9th century BC by the signature of a treaty between three kings. During the Truce period, athletes, artists and their families could travel in total safety to participate in or attend the Olympic Games and return afterwards to their respective countries.”
