September 13
2017
Coliseum Makes History – 2028 Olympics
Today, we have made history. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is now a three-time host of the Summer Olympics, having been awarded, along with the City of Los Angeles, the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. The world will once again be watching the best athletes from countries all over the globe compete for the gold inside "The Greatest Stadium in the World!"
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I, has been a civic treasure for generations of Angelenos. The legacy of events and individuals hosted in nine-plus-decades reads like no other: the only venue to host two Summer Olympics (Xth Olympiad in 1932, XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984) and soon a third (XXXIVth Olympiad in 2028); home to college footballâs USC Trojans since 1923 and the UCLA Bruins (1928-1981); professional footballâs Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019), Raiders (1982-1994) and Chargers (1960); hosting three NFL Championships and two Super Bowls; home to the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-1960) and the 1959 World Series; appearances by US Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan and international dignitaries such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela. From Mick Jagger, to the Harlem GlobetrottersâŚfrom the Grateful Dead to Billy Graham, Evel Knievel and Pele, the Memorial Coliseum, named a National and California Historic Landmark in 1984, has been the stage for the unbelievable, the unforgettable, the iconic and the best in human endeavor and achievement.
Thank you to the many entities who worked together to make today a reality. We celebrate and share this historical moment with you!
June 23
1984
Olympic Day
June 23rd is known across the world as Olympic Day, a day which commemorates the birth of the modern
Olympic Games in 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris.
This event has helped to spread the Olympic ideals, and to promote participation in sport, across the globe, regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. The three pillars âmoveâ, âlearnâ, and âdiscoverâ each play a role in helping National Olympic Committees organize sports, cultural and educational activities for everyone to participate in. Such events are even being incorporated into some countriesâ school curriculum, and many Committees have added concerts and exhibitions to the celebration.
âOlympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.â
- The International Olympic Committee
July 30
1932
X Olympiad Opening Ceremony
The 1932 Summer Olympic Games opened at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 30, 1932. The crowd of 101,022 welcomed athletes from 37 countries, including the 357 men and 43 women competing on Team USA.
It is estimated that over 1.2 million fans from all over the world attended the Games (interestingly, the same number of people that were residing in the City of Los Angeles at that time). This was the first Olympics which involved the setup of an Olympic Village for the visiting athletes, and also premiered the use of a three-tier medal podium.