History of Sport in Timeline

Sport encompasses physical activities or games, often competitive and structured, aimed at maintaining or enhancing physical ability and skills. It offers enjoyment for participants and entertainment for spectators. The participation scale varies significantly, ranging from individual involvement to large-scale team sports.

1934: Mussolini Uses FIFA World Cup for Fascist Propaganda

In 1934, Benito Mussolini used the FIFA World Cup, held in Italy, to showcase Fascist Italy.

1936: Hitler Uses Olympics to Promote Nazi Ideology

In 1936, Adolf Hitler used the Summer Olympics held in Berlin, and the Winter Olympics held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, to promote the Nazi ideology of Aryan superiority, while secretly preparing for war.

1969: Football War Between El Salvador and Honduras

In 1969, the Football War between El Salvador and Honduras was sparked by rioting at World Cup qualifiers.

1971: Olympic Athletes Allowed Compensation and Sponsorship

From 1971, Olympic athletes were allowed to receive compensation and sponsorship.

1972: Munich Massacre at the Olympics

In 1972, Palestinian militants infiltrated the Olympic Village, took Israeli team members hostage, and killed 11 athletes in what became known as the Munich massacre.

1986: IOC Allows Professional Athletes in Olympics

From 1986, the IOC decided to make all professional athletes eligible for the Olympics, with the exceptions of boxing, and wrestling.

1990: East Germany's Use of Collaborators in Sport

In communist controlled East Germany, from the 1970s to 1990, an estimated 3,000 unofficial collaborators were used each year in top-level sport, including many football players, fans and referees to prevent athletes escaping to the West.

1998: Emergence of Sports Engineering

In 1998, sports engineering emerged as a discipline with an increasing focus on materials design and technology in sport.

1998: Good Friday Agreement Leads to Removal of GAA Ban

In 1998, the advent of the Good Friday Agreement led to the removal of the GAA ban on members of the British security forces and members of the RUC from playing Gaelic games.

2000: Early Sport in China

Around 2000 BC, evidence suggests the existence of sport in China.

2006: FIFA World Cup Final Viewership

In 2006, the FIFA World Cup final drew over 700 million viewers worldwide.

2008: Introduction of Decision Review System in Cricket

Since 2008, a decision review system for players to review decisions has been introduced and used in ICC-run tournaments, and optionally in other matches. Technologies such as Hawk-Eye and Hot Spot are used.