1996 Atlanta Olympics

Also called: Games of the XXVI Olympiad, Atlanta 1996, Centennial Olympic Games

The centennial Games of the modern Olympics, attended by all 197 IOC member nations. During the Games a bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park, killing two people.

The Games ran from 19 July to 4 August 1996. Many had wanted Athens to host the centennial, but the IOC chose Atlanta. Some 10,000 athletes from 197 nations took part, the first time every member nation was present. Muhammad Ali, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, lit the cauldron. On 27 July a pipe bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park, killing two and injuring more than a hundred. The Games were criticised for excessive commercialism and traffic chaos.