Did the first post‑WWII Summer Olympics occur in 1948 London?

FILE - This July 29, 1948 file photo, showing the opening ceremony of the 1948 Olympic Games at Wembley Stadium, in London, England. London was still cleaning up bombing damage from World War II when it staged the Olympics in 1948. Britain was also struggling financially; food, clothing and gas were still being rationed.

The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus caused by the outbreak of World War II, these were ...

The 1948 Summer Olympics (also known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad) was an international multi-sport event held from July 29 through August 14, 1948, in London, United Kingdom. It was the first Olympic Games to take place in twelve years, due to the Second World War (and was known informally as "The Austerity Games" – largely due to countries having to bring their own food due to shortages in Britain), with London being chosen as the host city ...

The 1948 Summer Olympics, held in London, were the first games after World War II and featured 4,099 athletes competing in 17 sports, promoting peace and

Because of time constraints, and the difficulty getting IOC members to travel to a central location for voting on the 1948 Olympic Games, London (Great Britain) was confirmed as the host city by a postal vote. The vote was confirmed at the 40th IOC Session in Lausanne, on 4 September 1946.

“Everything is noise and colour now,” wrote a Sunday Mirror journalist of the occasion. The city hosted 4,099 contestants from 59 nations – around double the athletes of the first London Olympics in 1908.

That's the intriguing story behind the wartime Olympics of 1940 and 1944. First Tokyo, then Helsinki, Finland, won the right to hold the 1940 competition, and London was set to host the 1944 Summer Games.

“We call the Summer Games of 1940 and 1944 the ‘Lost Olympics’,” explained Dr. Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, president and chief executive officer of The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. “Because of the war, these games never happened. As we celebrate the 2012 games in London, the story behind these earlier efforts is fascinating — just one of the many interesting details about WWII we explore at the Museum.”

Executive summary The first Summer Olympic Games held after World War II were the 1948 London Olympics, staged from July 29 to August 14, 1948, marking t...