Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games, held in 1896 and opened on April 6.
The 1896 Games were organized after the International Olympic Committee was founded in Paris in 1894 under the leadership of Pierre de Coubertin. Athens was selected as the host, connecting the modern event with the ancient Olympic tradition of Greece.
The opening ceremony took place in the Panathenaic Stadium, a marble stadium rebuilt for the Games. Competitors came from several countries and contested sports including athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.
This fact is relevant to New Year’s Eve because Athens is also the setting for an important modern calendar transition in Greece, where New Year customs include vasilopita, a cake containing a hidden coin. The Olympic Games themselves were not a New Year’s Eve event, so Athens should not be confused with cities that host midnight celebrations.