Historical Evolution of sports Historical Evolucion of sports researchpdf | Page 27

1ST PERIOD:
‘’A better world could be brought about only by better individuals.’’ This
quote from Pierre de Coubertin shows how life started to change from the mid-
18 th century until nowadays. When this important man was born in 1863, many
things around the world completely changed. First of all, in 1863, servitude was
abolished in the United States; in 1864, the I International is created; one year
later, 1865, there was a suffrage movement which would led to the female vote
in 1920. A significant event occurred in 1870: the Battle of Sedan between
France and Prussia, where France was defeated and humiliated. This would
result in the unification of Germany and Italy. Afterwards in 1871, the Parisian
Commune is founded; in 1872, the I International disappears from Europe.
Regarding culture, the Eiffel Tower is constructed in 1889. So as we can see,
many relevant events occur until the establishment of the International Olympic
Committee in 1894. All these will later influence Pierre and future wars such as
World War I.
BIOGRAPHY:
Pierre, baron de Coubertin was born the 1 January, 1863 in France and
died on September 2, 1937 in Switzerland. He was a French educator and
historian who played a central role in the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896,
after nearly 1,500 years of inactivity. He was a founding member of
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and served as its second president
from 1896 to 1925, becoming the father of the modern Olympic Games.
He was born into an
established
aristocratic
family and received a
privileged upbringing. His
father was a great patriot
and does, he passed on
these thoughts to Pierre. He
was one of the cleverest
and top students of his class
assisting to a Jesuit school.
His
early
education
influenced him a lot as it
taught him strong moral
values. When he was a child, France was under profound political changes.(1870
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF SPORTS
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