CivAtlasHistory reader

August 8–24, 2008 CE / East Asia

Beijing Hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics

Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics for the first time, with athletes and audiences from around the world participating as sport, urban development, and international exchange met on the same stage.

Read on the map and timeline
Era
Modern World
Region
East Asia
Theme
Exchange
An imagined early twenty-first-century city: a tram passes a plaza where people walk, cycle and gather by trees and streetside shops.
An AI-generated imagined historical panorama suggests everyday life. It is not evidence for reconstructing a specific event or archaeological site.

The story

From August 8 to 24, 2008, Beijing hosted the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, with athletes from many places taking part. The major event prompted the construction of venues, transportation, and urban services, and television and the internet made it an event watched together around the world. Through sporting events and media coverage, the Olympics connected athletes and audiences worldwide. The map marks the National Stadium; the events did not all take place in the same venue or solely in the city of Beijing.

Elsewhere in the world

The Olympic Games connect sporting organizations, media, and audiences worldwide, representing one cultural and social form of China's interaction with the world.

Dates and precision

August 8–24, 2008 CE Ongoing process

The dates describe a process over time; the interactive timeline uses its starting point.

Representative map location

Beijing · National Stadium

The area around the National Stadium represents the opening ceremony venue; events did not all take place in the same venue or city.

Representative coordinates · 39.991°, 116.391°

Coordinates locate a representative point for the story. They do not mean the event happened only here and do not represent historical borders.

Bibliography

  • General Administration of Sport of China | Games of the XXIX Olympiad: Beijing 2008
  • Australian Olympic Committee | Beijing 2008: Dates and Events

Sources are listed as bibliography titles, without external links. A reference does not mean every sentence or interpretation has been independently verified.

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Read this era · Modern WorldRead this region · East Asia

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