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HISTORY

The Claim

The first Summer Olympic Games held after World War II took place in the 1940s.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

Authoritative historical records show that the first Summer Olympics after World War II were the London Games in 1948. Because 1948 falls within the 1940s, the claim is fully supported. The cancelled 1940 and 1944 Games are the key context explaining why 1948 was the first postwar Summer Olympics.

Caveats

  • This refers specifically to the Summer Olympics; Winter Games are a separate timeline.
  • The 1940 and 1944 Summer Olympics were scheduled but cancelled because of World War II.
  • The claim is chronologically simple, but confusion can arise if cancelled Games are treated as if they were held.

The Receipts

  1. The Games that brought the world back together: London 1948

    International Olympic Committee

  2. London 1948 Summer Olympics - IOC Official Site

    International Olympic Committee

  3. London 1948 Olympic Games

    Encyclopaedia Britannica

  4. Berlin 1936 Olympic Games

    Encyclopaedia Britannica

  5. London 1948 Summer Games Overview (archival page)

    International Olympic Committee

  6. The 'Lost Olympics' of 1940 and 1944

    The National WWII Museum

  7. Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics - IOC Official Site

    International Olympic Committee

  8. Tokyo 1940 / Helsinki 1940 Cancelled Games

    International Olympic Committee

  9. London 1908 Summer Olympics

    International Olympic Committee

  10. Which Olympic Games have been cancelled?

    International Olympic Committee

+ 15 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Summer Olympic GamesWorld War II

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