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Global History

:

Olympics

This is a guide to topics in global history, focused on primary sources available at Boston College.

Researching the Olympics

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The Olympics were based on old games .... Despite being marketed for its global participation, the first games took place in Asia in 1964, in Latin America in 1968, and have yet to take place anywhere in Africa. 

This guide highlights some of the major digital collections associated with the modern Olympic games and then highlights year-specific collections, documentaries, and 

Timelines and Guides

Digital Collections

Data & Statistics

National Olympic Committees

Sources: Ephemera

Sources: Journals

Sources: News on Paper and in Film

Newspapers

Televisions and Newsreels

See subpage for a list of films and documentaries.

For historical newspapers and television, visit BC Libraries' Historical News page.

Topics: Cold War and the Olympics

Topics: South Africa

Topics: U.S. and the Olympics

1936 Berlin Olympic Games

1940 Tokyo Olympic Games (Cancelled)

1948 London Olympic Games

First games after the close of the Second World War. 

Reports

1956 Melbourne/Stockholm Olympic Games

First games in Oceania.

Reports

1960 Squaw Valley Olympic Games (Winter)

Was the first televised Olympics within the U.S. - and boasted the first Olympic village. 

Reports

1964 Tokyo Olympic Games

First Games held in Asia. 

Reports and Other Official Texts

1968 Mexico City Olympic Games

Reports

1972 Munich Olympic Games

Reports

1972 Sapporo Olympic Games (Winter)

Reports

1980 Moscow Olympic Games

1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games

1988 Seoul Olympic Games

Reports

1998 Nagano Olympic Games

Reports

2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Reports

2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games

2012 London Olympic Games

Reports

2014 Sochi Olympic Games (Winter)

Reports

2014 Nanjing Olympic Youth Games

2016 Rio Olympic Games

Reports

2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games (Winter)

Reports

202(1) Tokyo Olympic Games

Summer Games

World Map of Olympic Cities