The Olympic Games may be traced back to 776 BCE. They were dedicated to the Greek gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. They continued until 393 CE, a time when many pagan practices were banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius 1, who ruled Greece at the time. In 1896, Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the games and the first Modern Olympics was held in Athens. Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympics and Tokyo is now readying to stage the 2020 event in July ’21! The Games will begin on Friday, July 23, and end on Sunday, August 8, during which time 206 nations are expected to compete in 339 events.