Which city was originally awarded the 1908 Olympics but later withdrew? Rome was originally awarded the 1908 Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee chose Rome at its 1904 session in London. Italy was expected to host the fourth modern Summer Games, but preparations became financially difficult. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in April 1906 devastated areas near Naples and increased pressure on the Italian government to redirect money toward relief and reconstruction.
Italy consequently withdrew Rome as host. London stepped in, and the Games were reassigned to Britain later in 1906. The 1908 Olympics were held from April to October at venues including the newly built White City Stadium, making them the first Olympics staged in London.
The volcanic eruption is the usual explanation, but historians note that Italy’s financial problems had already influenced the decision; Vesuvius intensified the crisis rather than creating it from nothing. Rome eventually hosted the Olympics in 1960. Athens, Berlin and Paris were not the city originally selected for the 1908 Games.