The quadrennial celebration of Olympic athletes dates back to 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece. (Heck of a long time ago.)

The modern-day version was first held in Athens, Greece, from April 6-15, 1896. And the Boston Herald covered the games! (From afar, but history is still soaked in the pages of this paper.)

Here’s the PDF page proofs:

Page 7 of the Boston Herald April 7, 1896

Page 1 of the Boston Herald April 7, 1896

It’s amazing how far we’ve come. But still, it all boils down to the individual determination of athletes from all over the planet who strive to rise above all others, even just for one glorious moment. It’s all on display every day and night this week and your resident “From the Archives” surveyor had to unearth these pages after watching the 400 meter finals. (My personal favorite; maybe the 200 and 100, too.)

It’s been a strenuous late spring and early summer, so I apologize for slipping on your weekly dose of Herald history. I need to do better. Your ideas — emailed to joed@bostonherald.com — have kept me busy, but this archive thread must continue!

We have added “Today in History” to our daily lineup. (Bookmark the “History” tag on the Herald Nation section to keep up with this daily report. It’s fascinating!)

And I’ll keep digging!

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