Summer Olympics History Trivia: 16 Facts About The Origins Of The Games As Rio 2016 Gets Underway

The Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro are finally here. For the next two weeks, sports fans around the world will be glued to the games to watch about 11,000 athletes compete for gold medals and glory. But how much do you know about the event itself?

The Olympics are an ancient tradition dating back to 776 BC. Originally intended as a way to honor Zeus, the first modern iteration took place in Athens in 1896 with 241 male athletes from 14 countries, according to olympic.org.