The very first modern Olympic Games opened in the first week of April 1896 in Athens. Since the Greek government had been unable to fund construction of a stadium, a wealthy Greek architect, Georgios Averoff, donated one million drachmas (over $100,000) to restore the Panathenaic Stadium originally built in 330 BC, with white marble for the Olympic Games.
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Olympics
Athens 2004
Athens 2004 Opening Ceremony