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What is International Olympic Day and why is it celebrated?

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Olympic Day is celebrated worldwide on 23 June each year to promote sport and physical activity. The date marks the founding of the International Olympic Committee in 1894, which paved the way for the modern Olympic Games.

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In 1947, during the 41st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Stockholm, Dr. Gruss, an IOC member from Czechoslovakia, proposed the idea of a World Olympic Day dedicated to promoting the Olympic spirit. The proposal was officially adopted a few months later at the 42nd IOC Session in St. Moritz in January 1948. The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) were tasked with organizing the event and asked to select a date between 17 and 24 June—honouring the founding of the IOC on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris, where Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games.

History

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The first Olympic Day was celebrated on 23 June 1948. Sigfrid Edström, the President of the IOC at that time, delivered a message to world that day. The day was celebrated widely in Portugal, Greece, Austria, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, Uruguay, Venezuela and Belgium. 

Very-first Olympic Day

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It was in the 1978 version of the Olympic Charter that the International Olympic Committee recommended that all the National Olympic Committees organise an Olympic Day to promote the Olympic Movement:

Olympic Day included in Olympic Charter

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The Olympic Day Run is a core part of Olympic Day celebration. The first Olympic Day run was held in 1987 and was organised by NOCs to celebrate Olympic Day and promote the practice of mass sport. The first Olympic Day run saw the participation NOCs. The numbers now stands at 150. 

Olympic Day Run

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"On Olympic Day, we celebrate the Olympic Movement’s mission to make the world a better place through sport. When we do sport, it keeps our mind and body strong and healthy. When we do sport, it inspires us to always give it our best and it makes us dream, it spreads joy and it brings us together. We want to inspire the world to move more every day. Sport and physical activity are the low-cost, high-impact tool for healthy bodies and healthy minds and resilient communities."

Dr. Thomas Bach on Olympic Day

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