1908 Summer facts
While investigating facts about 1908 Summer, I found out little known, but curios details like:
Pistol dueling with wax bullets was a popular pastime in the early 20th century and even featured as a sport in the 1908 Summer Olympics
Pistol dueling was a sport in the 1908 summer Olympics. Contestants used wax bullets and metal masks for safety.
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 12 of the best facts about 1908 Summer I managed to collect.
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In the 1908 Summer Olympics, the American flag carrier refused to dip the flag to King Edward VII of England, reportedly saying "This flag dips to no earthly king."
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Forrest Smithson won the 110 metre hurdles and set a world record during the 1908 Summer Olympics with a Bible in his left hand.
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Rome was forced to decline hosting the 1908 Olympics due to a devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, and would not host them until 52 years later with the 1960 summer games.
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Special figures was an event in the 1908 Summer Olympic Games. Like compulsory figures, special figures involved tracing patterns on the ice with the blade of one ice skate. This required the skater to display significant balance and control while skating on one foot.
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When introduced to the Olympics in 1908, figure skating was actually part of the summer games. It remained so until 1924.
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Lacrosse was an event in the 1904 and 1908 summer Olympics and both times the gold medal was won by Canadian teams. Im 1904 two Canadian teams competed the shamrocks and the mowhaks who won Gold and bronze respectively.
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Pistol Dueling was an associate sport at the 1908 Summer Olympics.
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The top 3 records for most medals won by a country at a single summer Olympics were each won by the same country the games were hosted in: (1) Team USA 239 medals at 1904 Missouri USA (2) Team USSR 195 medals at 1980 Moscow USSR (3) Team Great Britain 145 medals at 1908 London UK.
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The 1908 summer Olympics had Tug of war and... motorboating sports
