The Tokyo Olympics, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, weren’t the first Games to face such disruption. While the Olympic spirit has endured for over a century, the history of the event is marked by cancellations and postponements. The 1916 Summer Games in Berlin became the first victim of war. After securing the hosting rights, the outbreak of World War I in July 1914 forced organizers to cancel the event.
Germany returned to the spotlight in 1936, hosting the Berlin Olympics. However, the Games were overshadowed by the rise of the Nazi regime.
Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan, achieved a historical first by being chosen as the first non-Western cities to host the 1940 Summer and Winter Games, respectively. But the outbreak of war between Japan and China in 1937 led to Japan relinquishing its hosting rights. Helsinki, Finland, was selected as the new host for the Summer Games, while Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, was chosen for the Winter Games. However, the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, following the Nazi invasion of Poland, ultimately led to the cancellation of both events.
The Summer and Winter Olympics of 1944, scheduled for London and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, respectively, were also canceled due to the ongoing World War II.
While the Tokyo Games were the first Olympics to be canceled due to a health hazard, the history of the Olympic Games is intertwined with global events. War and disease have repeatedly disrupted the Games, highlighting the vulnerability of even the most celebrated sporting event to global challenges.
