Search results
Charles Louis de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1822–1908) was a French aristocrat and painter. He married a woman from Normandy, Agathe Marie Marcelle Gigault de Crisenoy, with whom he had four children. He was the father of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.
Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (French: [ʃaʁl pjɛʁ də fʁedi baʁɔ̃ də kubɛʁtɛ̃]; born Pierre de Frédy; 1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937), also known as Pierre de Coubertin and Baron de Coubertin, was a French educator and historian, co-founder of the International Olympic Committee, and its second president.
At Saint-Ignace, a new Jesuit day school on the Right Bank, Pierre proved to be a brilliant student, fascinated with the classical world of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In 1874, when he was 11, the Germans began a six-year excavation of ancient Olympia.
Jul 18, 2024 · Pierre, baron de Coubertin (born January 1, 1863, Paris, France—died September 2, 1937, Geneva, Switzerland) was a French educator who played a central role in the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, after nearly 1,500 years of abeyance.
- John J. Macaloon
- Early Life
- Historical Context For His Lifework
- Travels and Study of Athletics
- The Founder of The Modern Olympics
- The First Modern Olympics
- Death
- Legacy
- Resources and Further Reading
Born on January 1, 1863, in Paris, Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin was 8 years old when he witnessed the defeat of his homeland in the Franco-Prussian War. He came to believe that his nation’s lack of physical education for the masses contributed to the defeat at the hands of Prussians led by Otto von Bismarck. In his youth, Coubertin was also fon...
Athletics were becoming increasingly popular through the 1800s, after a long prior period when Coubertin's society was essentially indifferent to sports—or even considered sports to be a frivolous diversion. Scientists in the 19th century began touting athletics as a way of improving health. Organized athletic endeavors, such as baseball leagues in...
In the 1880s and early 1890s, Coubertin made several trips to America and a dozen trips to England to study the administration of athletics. The French government was impressed with his work and commissioned him to hold "athletic congresses," which featured events such as horseback riding, fencing, and track and field. A small item in the New York ...
The ambitious plans of Coubertin to revitalize the educational system of France never really materialized, but his travels began to inspire him with a far more ambitious plan. He began thinking about having countries compete in athletic events based on the Olympic festivals of ancient Greece. In 1892, at a jubilee of the French Union of Athletic Sp...
The decision to hold the first modern Olympics in Athens, at the site of the ancient Games, was symbolic. It also proved to be problematic, as Greece was embroiled in political turmoil. However, Coubertin visited Greece and became convinced the Greek people would be happy to host the Games. Funds were raised to mount the Games, and the first modern...
During World War I, Coubertin's family suffered hardships and fled to Switzerland. He was involved in organizing the 1924 Olympics but retired after that. The final years of his life were greatly troubled, and he faced severe financial hardships. He died in Geneva on September 2, 1937.
Baron de Coubertin gained recognition for his work promoting the Olympics. In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt, visiting France after a safari in Africa, made a point of visiting Coubertin, whom he admired for his love of athletics. His influence on the institution he foundedendures. The idea of the Olympics as an event filled not merely w...
“Americans Won Most Crowns: Olympian Games Closed with the Distribution of Wreaths and Medals.” New York Times, 16 April 1896, p. 1. archive.nytimes.com.de Coubertin, Pierre, and Norbert Müller. Olympism: Selected Writings. Comité International Olympique, 2000.May 27, 2024 · Widely known around the world as the founder of the modern Olympic Games and the co-founder of the International Olympic Committee, much of Coubertin’s life and work remains unknown to the general public aside from his contributions to Olympism.
People also ask
Who is Baron de Coubertin?
Who was Charles Louis de Frédy?
Who was Pierre de Coubertin?
Who painted Pierre de Coubertin?
Charles Pierre, the son and fourth child of Charles Louis de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (whose family estate was in the Chevreuse valley, not far from the French capital) and Agathe Marie Marcelle Gigault de Crisenoy (who brought to the family Mirville Manor in Normandy), was born on 1st January 1863 at around five.
