This page takes you through the Olympic Game History-Olympic Emblems placed chronologically down the timeline, right from the Paris 1924 Emblem to the Athens 2004 Emblem.
For more useful information on the Olympics, try out the other links on the page.
Other Olympics Emblems
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Paris 1924 Emblem
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Los Angeles 1932 Emblem
It is composed of the American flag presented in the form of arms, accompanied, in the foreground, by the Olympic rings, the Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger) and a laurel branch, symbol of victory.
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Berlin 1936 Emblem
It was created purely by chance- an artist, Johannes Boehland, started by designing an emblem containing the five Olympic rings with a superimposed eagle and the Brandenburg Gate, one of the symbols of the city. However, the President of the Games Organising Committee, Dr Lewald, was not satisfied with this composition and took the initiative to open the bottom part of the emblem, which turned the design into a bell. Although it was purely by chance that it was created, the symbolism of this figure was immediately recognised.
On the side of the bell is the inscription "Ich rufe die Jugend der Welt!" (I call the youth of the world). The artist, Johannes Boehland, commissioned to continue designing the emblem on this theme. The definitive emblem was thus composed of the Olympic bell on which can be found the Olympic rings with the German eagle superimposed.As well as the Olympic rings, flame and oath, the bell became one of the strong and omnipresent symbols of the Berlin Games.
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London 1948 Emblem
It is composed of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The hands of the famous "Big Ben" are pointing to 4 o'clock, the time at which the opening of the Games was planned. In the foreground, the Olympic rings. The Games Organising Committee wanted a typically English emblem, but one that would have significance not only for the generation of that time, but for future generations as well.
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Helsinki 1952 Emblem
It was composed of the tower of the stadium with the Olympic rings at the top. It was worn as a badge by the dignitaries and VIP guests at the Games.
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Melbourne 1956 Emblem
It is composed of a drawing of Australia, with a torch and Olympic rings superimposed. In the bottom half, the inscription "MELBOURNE 1956", extended on each side by laurel branches.
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Rome 1960 Emblem
It is made up of the Olympic rings above a Roman she-wolf, from which Remus and Romulus are suckling. They are the twin brothers who, according to legend, founded the city of Rome. Between them, is the date, 1960, written in roman numerals.
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Tokyo 1964 Emblem
It is composed of the Olympic rings superimposed on the emblem of the Japanese national flag, representing the rising sun. Having examined a large number of proposals, the Games Organising Committee chose the design submitted by Yusaku Kamekura which was subsequently accepted as the official emblem of the Games.
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Mexico 1968 Emblem
It is a combination of the five Olympic rings and the year. The design came from the collaboration of three artists: Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, architect and President of the Organising Committee for the Games, Eduardo Terrazas (MEX) and Lance Wyman (USA). It recalls the patterns of the Huichole Indians.
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Munich 1972 Emblem
It represents a crown of rays of light, a design symbolizing the spirit of the Munich Games- light, freshness, generosity, expressed by the design "Radiant Munich". It was created by Otl Aicher.
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Montreal 1976 Emblem
It is made up of the Olympic rings mounted on an Olympic podium, which is also the graphic interpretation of the letter M, the initial of Montreal. In the centre, the athletics track, the focal point of the Games.This emblem invokes the universal fraternity offered by the Olympic Ideal, as well as the glory of the winners, the gallant spirit of their battles and the accession of Montreal to the rank of Olympic city.
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Moscow 1980 Emblem
The official emblem was created by Vladimir Arsentyev. Above the Olympic rings we find parallel lines in the shape of a pyramid, and a five pointed star which serves as a reminder of the flag of the Kremlin.
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Los Angeles 1984 Emblem
The star is a universal symbol of the highest aspirations of mankind, the horizontal bars portray the speed with which the contestants pursue the excellence, while the repetition of the star shape connotes the spirit of competition between equally outstanding physical forms.
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Seoul 1988 Emblem
The Seoul emblem features a samtaeguk pattern. A samtaeguk is a traditional Korean pattern and visual image which represents Korea. This pattern is widely used as decoration on fans, gates of Korean-style homes, artefacts, and folk crafts. The Olympic emblem features patterns in two forms, centripetal and centrifugal; the centripetal motion represented the people of the world coming together in Korea, thus symbolising worldwide harmony, while the centrifugal motion represented a march onward in search of man's lasting happiness and prosperity.
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Barcelona 1992 Emblem
The official emblem, designed by Josep Maria Trias from Barcelona, depicted a dynamic human figure in a stance that suggested someone jumping an obstacle (which consisted of the five Olympic rings) and the simple, gestual lines reduced the characterisation of the figure to the head (in the blue of the Mediterranean), the arms (the yellow of the sun and wide open in sign of hospitality) and the legs (a vivid red).
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Atlanta 1996 Emblem
The base of the torch mark logo, made of the five Rings and the number 100, resembles a classical Greek column and recognizes the centennial of the Games. The torch mark's flames gradually evolve into a perfect star symbolizing each athlete's pursuit of excellence. The gold colour in this logo represents gold medals. The green represents laurel branches worn by winners in ancient times, as well as Atlanta's reputation as the City of Trees.
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Sydney 2000 Emblem
The emblem represents the figure of an athlete, using typically Australian shapes and colours. The boomerangs and suggestions of sun and rocks, together with the colours of the harbour, beaches and red interior invoke the unique Australian landscape and its original inhabitants. The flash which transforms the silhouette of Sydney Opera House into a trail of smoke from an Olympic torch recalls the emblem of Sydney's Olympic candidature.
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Athens 2004 Emblem
The 2004 Olympic Games emblem portrays an olive wreath, or kotinos, a branch from an olive tree intertwined in a circle. The emblem is a reference to the ancient Olympic Games, where the kotinos was the official award of Olympic champions. In addition, the olive was the sacred tree of Athens. The colours of the emblem symbolise the shades of white and blue found in the Greek countryside.
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