French sportsman and educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin was fascinated with the idea of the ancient Olympic Games, and was convinced that physical exercise and competition build moral values. Inspired by the discoveries at Olympia, he proposed the modern Olympics for the first time in 1892. After two years of tireless efforts he gathered enough public support to organize the International Athletic Congress of 1894 in Paris. The Congress appointed the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and approved an Olympics to be held in Athens, in April of 1896. During the first Modern Olympics 311 athletes from 13 countries competed in a stadium with room for 50,000 spectators.
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