#45: An Olive Branch Victory
The Olympics date back to the ancient Greeks, who held their own version of the games almost 3,000 years ago. Our version of the Olympics looks much different than it did all those centuries ago. However, some of the old traditions have remained in some form or another. For example, the ancient Greeks awarded winners an olive wreath with branches from the wild olive trees in Olympia.
This olive branch tradition was carried on in our modern times, at least for a little bit. The modern-day Olympics were introduced in 1896. Instead of gold medals, winners got a silver medal and an olive branch as a prize. The runners-up received bronze medals and laurel branches. It wasn’t until 1904 that our traditional gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to first, second, and third place.