Athens was the first modern host of the Summer Olympic Games.
The 1896 Summer Olympics took place in Athens, Greece, from 6 to 15 April 1896. They were organized by the International Olympic Committee, founded in Paris in 1894 under the leadership of Pierre de Coubertin. The Games drew athletes from 14 nations, although participation records count individuals and countries in different ways.
Events included athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. The marathon was introduced at these Games, inspired by the ancient Greek story of the runner from Marathon to Athens.
The ancient Olympic Games had been held at Olympia, not Athens, and ended in antiquity. Athens hosted the Olympics again in 2004. Paris hosted the second modern Summer Games in 1900, so it is not the first modern host despite its prominent role in the Olympic movement.