June 23

On this day - June 23 1894 - The International Olympic Committee was established 

The international Olympic Committee (IOC) was created during a conference organized by Pierre de Coubertin, who is today consider the father of the modern Olympics. IOC is a non-profit organization which organize the Winter and Summer Olympics. The firs IOC organized Olympic games was hold in Athens in 1896, which was unanimously voted to be the host for the first Olympic Games during the same conference as IOC was established at. Demetrius Vikelas was elected as IOC's first president. The next games were hosted in Paris in 1900.

The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well - Pierre de Coubertin

The first ever opening ceremony in Greece 1896

April 8th

On this day - April 8th 1912 - Figure Skater and actress Sonja Henie was born

Sonja Henie was a Norwegian born figure skater and actress. She was born in Norway in 1912 to wealthy parents who helped her achieve her fame. She won the Olympic gold in figure skating 1928, 1932 and 1936 and became a world champion 10 consecutive times, which is the female figure skater record even today. She was also one of Hollywoods best paid actresses at the height of her career. The first movie she played in was "One in a million" in 1936 and thereafter followed several other movies with and without ice skating segments. Although Henie is considered to be one of the most famous Norwegians of all time, is she also viewed with skepticism in Norway. This is due to her friendship with Adolf Hitler previously to his occupation of Norway during to the Second World War (there is, however, no proof that she was a nazi and she supported the american involvement in the war).  Henie died of Leukemia in 1969 at the age of 57 while flying from Paris to Oslo. She is buried in Oslo on a hilltop overlooking the art-museum she and her husband Onstad created after they had retired. Her hand and skate prints can be found on the ground outside of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

January 6th

On this day - 6th January 1994 - Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed in the knee

The attack on Nancy Kerrigan was a part of her ongoing conflict with rival Tonya Harding. On January 6th she was clubbed on her knee by a police baton after a figure skating practice in Detroit. The attack was planed by Tonya Harding's ex-husband to keep Kerrigan from participating in the Olympic Games. Nancy Kerrigan was not able to compete in the competition, but was still selected to participate in the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer later the same year. The conflict between here and Hardinger made her rise to international fame and the ongoing conflict received much attention during the Olympic Games. Kerrigan won silver in the games, while Harding only got 8th place. Harding was later sentenced to three years probation for her involvement in the attack.