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Basketball began with peach baskets and nine players a side

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Historic first basketball court
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1891

Basketball began with peach baskets and nine players a side

James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the winter of 1891. The Hall of Fame dates the first game to 21 December and records nine players on each side.

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Olympic stadium illuminated during a closing ceremony
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5 rings

The Olympic rings represent five continents, not five colour-coded continents

The five Olympic rings symbolise the union of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. No individual ring colour officially belongs to a particular continent.

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Panathenaic Stadium in Athens
Sports

1896

The first modern Olympics opened in Athens in 1896

Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games from 6 to 15 April 1896. The IOC records 241 athletes, 14 national teams and 43 events.

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