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56-782: The 1956 Summer Olympics , officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956 , were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia , from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events , which were held in Stockholm , Sweden, in June 1956. These Games were the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania , as well as

112-632: A counterclockwise pattern. Hurricanes and tropical storms (massive low-pressure systems) spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. The shadow of a sundial moves clockwise on latitudes north of the subsolar point and anticlockwise to the south. During the day at these latitudes, the Sun tends to rise to its maximum at a southerly position. Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator,

168-650: A one-vote margin. The first sign of trouble was the revelation that Australian equine quarantine would prevent the country from hosting the equestrian events. Stockholm was selected as the alternative site, so equestrian competition began on 10 June, five and a half months before the rest of the Olympic Games were to open. The above problems of the Melbourne Games were compounded by bickering over financing among Australian politicians. Eventually, in March 1953,

224-591: A remarkable javelin throw of 85.71 metres (281.2 ft). Throughout the Olympics, Hungarian athletes were cheered by fans from Australia and other countries. Many of them gathered in the boxing arena when thirty-year-old Laszlo Papp of Hungary won a record third gold medal by beating José Torres for the light-middleweight championship. A few days later, the crowd was with the Hungarian water polo team in its hotly contested and emotionally charged match against

280-596: A selected group of athletes, rather than everybody, which was the case with the Olympic Games. The Soviets organized the first Spartakiad in 1920, a communist alternative to the 'bourgeois' Olympic Games, and in 1922 the University Olympia was organizedor in Italy , the forerunner of the World University Games , meant for students only. Regional games were another kind of multi-sport event that

336-558: A small part of South America . During the 2.5 million years of the Pleistocene , numerous cold phases called glacials ( Quaternary ice age ), or significant advances of continental ice sheets, in Europe and North America , occurred at intervals of approximately 40,000 to 100,000 years. The long glacial periods were separated by more temperate and shorter interglacials which lasted about 10,000–15,000 years. The last cold episode of

392-627: A week before the opening ceremony. The three Sydney stations, TCN9 , ATN7 and ABN2 , syndicated the Melbourne coverage. television in Australia was new having its beginnings in September 1956, so for many Australians, their first glimpse of television was Olympic broadcasts. Around five thousand television sets were in Australia by the time of the Games, so the domestic audience largely watched

448-465: The Northern temperate zone . The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. However, a temperate climate can have very unpredictable weather. Tropical regions (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator, 0° latitude) are generally hot all year round and tend to experience a rainy season during the summer months, and a dry season during

504-698: The People's Republic of China 's boycott was in response to a dispute with the Republic of China over the right to represent China. The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals at these Games. One of the most notable events of the games was a controversial water polo match between the Soviet Union and the defending champions, Hungary . The Soviet Union had recently suppressed an anti-authoritarian revolution in Hungary and violence broke out between

560-745: The State Government accepted a £2 million loan from the Commonwealth Government to build the Olympic Village , which would accommodate up to 6,000 people, in Heidelberg West . After the Olympics, the houses in the village were handed back to the Housing Commission for general public housing. At one point, IOC President Avery Brundage suggested that Rome, which was to host the 1960 Games,

616-483: The calendar year and the astronomical year . Within the Northern Hemisphere, oceanic currents can change the weather patterns that affect many factors within the north coast. Such events include El Niño–Southern Oscillation . Trade winds blow from east to west just above the equator. The winds pull surface water with them, creating currents, which flow westward due to the Coriolis effect . The currents then bend to

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672-543: The equestrian events in Stockholm), Ethiopia , Fiji , Kenya , Liberia , Federation of Malaya , North Borneo (modern-day Sabah of Malaysia ), and Uganda . Athletes from East Germany and West Germany competed together as the United Team of Germany , an arrangement that would last until 1968. For the first time, the team of Republic of China effectively represented only Taiwan . Five nations competed in

728-746: The equestrian events in Stockholm, but did not attend the Games in Melbourne. Cambodia , Egypt and Lebanon did not compete in Melbourne due to a boycott regarding the Suez Crisis , whilst the Netherlands , Spain and Switzerland all boycotted the Melbourne Olympics in protest at the Soviet invasion of Hungary . Nations that returned to the games in this edition included Afghanistan and Colombia . Nations that participated in

784-583: The last glacial period ended about 10,000 years ago. Earth is currently in an interglacial period of the Quaternary , called the Holocene . The glaciations that occurred during the glacial period covered many areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic is a region around the North Pole (90° latitude ). Its climate is characterized by cold winters and cool summers. Precipitation mostly comes in

840-463: The "Golden Girl". The veteran Shirley Strickland repeated her 1952 win in the 80 metre hurdles and was also part of the winning 4 x 100 metre relay team, bringing her career Olympic medal total to seven: three golds, a silver, and three bronze medals. Australia also triumphed in swimming. They won all of the freestyle races, men's and women's, and collected a total of eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Murray Rose became

896-526: The "Parade of Athletes" at the closing ceremonies. Nine teams boycotted the Games for various reasons. Four teams (Egypt, Iraq, Cambodia and Lebanon) boycotted in response to the Suez Crisis , in which Egypt was invaded by Israel , France and the United Kingdom . Four teams (the Netherlands, Spain, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) boycotted in response to the Soviet invasion of Hungary , and

952-432: The 158 athletes from 29 countries who took part in the Stockholm equestrian competition.) Once underway, the Games progressed smoothly, and came to be known as the "Friendly Games". Betty Cuthbert , an 18-year-old from Sydney, won the 100 and 200 metre sprint races and ran an exceptional final leg in the 4 x 100 metre relay to overcome Great Britain's lead and claim her third gold medal, becoming known as

1008-574: The 43rd IOC Session in Rome, Italy on 28 April 1949. Mexico City, Montreal and Los Angeles would eventually be selected to host the 1968 , 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics respectively. Many members of the IOC were skeptical about Melbourne as an appropriate site. Its location in the Southern Hemisphere was a major concern since the reversal of seasons would mean the Games must be held during

1064-491: The Mayor of Cairns, Alderman W.J. Fulton, lit the first torch with the torch design was identical to the one used for the 1948 London Games (except for the engraved city name and year). The first runner was Con Verevis, a local man of Greek parentage. The flame was relayed down the east coast of Australia using die cast aluminium torches weighing about 3 pounds (1.8 kg). The flame arrived in Melbourne on 22 November 1956,

1120-610: The Olympiade de la République in France in the 1800s. In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at multi-sport events were almost exclusively male. As international women's sport began to develop, events such as the Women's World Games and Olympics of Grace were held to allow women to engage in sport on the international stage. Though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over

1176-899: The Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities and is organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Arranged for the first time in 1960 in Rome , Italy . The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in Chicago , Illinois, in 1968. The most recent Special Olympics World Winter Games in Schladming, Austria involved 25 sports and approximately 2,277 athletes from 133 countries. At

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1232-506: The Olympics were not held entirely in one country, the first being the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp , Belgium, with some events taking place in Ostend, Belgium , and Amsterdam, Netherlands . Despite uncertainties and various complications encountered during the preparations, the 1956 Games went ahead in Melbourne as planned and turned out to be a success. Started during the 1956 Games was

1288-604: The Olympics. Egypt, Iraq, Cambodia and Lebanon announced that they would not participate in the Olympics in response to the Suez Crisis when Egypt was invaded by Israel, the United Kingdom, and France. The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Liechtenstein boycotted the event in protest of the Soviet Union 's crushing of the Hungarian Revolution . The People's Republic of China chose to boycott

1344-593: The Soviet Union which took place against the background of the Soviet invasion of Hungary . The game became rough and, when a Hungarian was forced to leave the pool with a bleeding wound above his eye, a riot almost broke out. The police restored order and the game was called early, with Hungary leading 4–0 , and the Hungarians went on to win the gold medal. In a much publicized Olympic romance, American hammer throw champion Hal Connolly would marry Czechoslovak discus throw champion , Olga Fikotová . After moving to

1400-663: The Sun can be seen to the north, directly overhead, or to the south at noon, depending on the time of year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the midday Sun is predominantly in the north. When viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon appears inverted compared to a view from the Southern Hemisphere. The North Pole faces away from the Galactic Center of the Milky Way . This results in the Milky Way being sparser and dimmer in

1456-555: The United States, Olga wanted to continue representing Czechoslovakia, but the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee would not allow her to do so. Thereafter, as Olga Connolly, she took part in every Olympics until 1972 competing for the U.S. She was the flag bearer for the U.S. team at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The India men's national field hockey team won its sixth consecutive Olympic gold. Despite

1512-646: The beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event, the Nordic Games were first held. These Games were held in Scandinavia , and the sports conducted were winter sports such as cross-country skiing and speed skating . The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was declared the first Olympic Winter Games . In the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for

1568-591: The course of the 20th century. Although the modern tradition commemorates the 1921 revolution , the Naadam festival in Mongolia is a continuation of ancient sporting practises amongst Mongolians. The three events of wrestling, horse racing and archery are thought to date back centuries and represent the three most important pursuits of a strong man in nomadic society. Alongside these sporting events there are other cultural activities such as dances and parades. Since

1624-654: The day of the opening ceremony and The flame was lit at the Olympic stadium by Ron Clarke , who accidentally burned his arm in the process. While the Olympic flame was being carried to Sydney, an Australian veterinary student named Barry Larkin carried a fake Olympic Flame and fooled the mayor of Sydney. The Olympics were first televised during the 1936 games to a domestic audience in Berlin. The 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo were broadcast internationally with

1680-460: The decision was reversed and Brasher became the first Briton to win a gold medal in track and field since 1936. Soviet runner Vladimir Kuts won two golds by winning both the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre events. Only two world records were set in track and field. Mildred McDaniel , the first American woman to win gold in the sport, set a high jump record of 1.76 metres (5.8 ft), and Egil Danielsen of Norway overcame blustery conditions with

1736-548: The establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences and participating countries or communities. These affiliations include: The first modern multi-sport event organised were the Olympic Games, organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (est. 1894) for the first time in 1896 in Athens , Greece . After some celebrations (1900, 1904),

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1792-447: The event because the Republic of China had been allowed to compete. Athletes from both East and West Germany competed together as a combined team (a remarkable display of unity that was repeated in 1960 and 1964 , but was then discontinued). Although the number of countries participating (67) was almost the same as in 1952 (69), the number of athletes competing dropped sharply, from 4,925 to 3,342. (This figure does not include

1848-518: The first Games for deaf athletes. The Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games , incepted in 1948 in England, were the first Games for wheelchair athletes. In 1960, the first Paralympic Games were held, connected with the Olympic Games . The Special Olympics World Games , for athletes with intellectual disabilities, were first held in 1968. Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is

1904-459: The first male swimmer to win two freestyle events(and a total three events) since Johnny Weissmuller in 1924, while Dawn Fraser won gold medals in the 100 metre freestyle and as the leadoff swimmer in the 4 x 100 metre relay team. The men's track and field events were dominated by the United States. They not only won 15 of the 24 events, they swept four of them and took first and second place in five others. Bobby Morrow led

1960-445: The first to be held outside Europe and North America. Melbourne is the most southerly city ever to host the Olympics. Due to the Southern Hemisphere's seasons being different from those in the Northern Hemisphere, the 1956 Games did not take place at the usual time of year, because of the need to hold the events during the warmer weather of the host's spring/summer (which corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere's autumn/winter), resulting in

2016-652: The form of snow. Areas inside the Arctic Circle (66°34′ latitude) experience some days in summer when the Sun never sets, and some days during the winter when it never rises. The duration of these phases varies from one day for locations right on the Arctic Circle to several months near the Pole, which is the middle of the Northern Hemisphere. Between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer (23°26′ latitude) lies

2072-458: The games at community halls and at Ampol petrol stations. The 1956 Summer Olympics featured 17 different sports encompassing 23 disciplines, and medals were awarded in 151 events (145 events in Melbourne and 6 equestrian events in Stockholm). In the list below, the number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses. A total of 67 nations competed in the 1956 Olympics. Eight countries made their Olympic debuts: Cambodia (only competed in

2128-586: The half of Earth that is north of the Equator . For other planets in the Solar System , north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the Solar System as Earth's North Pole . Due to Earth's axial tilt of 23.439281°, there is a seasonal variation in the lengths of the day and night. There is also a seasonal variation in temperatures, which lags

2184-431: The international tensions of 1956—or perhaps because of them—a young Melburnian, John Ian Wing , came up with a new idea for the closing ceremony. Instead of marching as separate teams, behind their national flags, the athletes mingled together as they paraded into and around the arena for a final appearance before the spectators. It was the start of an Olympic tradition that has been followed ever since. The Olympic flame

2240-481: The northern winter. The November–December schedule was thought likely to inconvenience athletes from the Northern Hemisphere , who were accustomed to resting during their winter. Notwithstanding these concerns, the field of candidates eventually narrowed to two Southern Hemisphere cities, these being Melbourne and Buenos Aires , Argentina . Melbourne was selected, in 1949, to host the 1956 Olympics by

2296-569: The only summer games ever to be held in November and December. Australia hosted the Games for a second time in 2000 in Sydney , New South Wales , and will host them again in 2032 in Brisbane , Queensland . The Olympic equestrian events could not be held in Melbourne due to Australia's strict quarantine regulations , so they were held in Stockholm five months earlier. This was the second time

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2352-399: The organising committee giving the television rights gratis. While there was much interest in the games overseas, no international television or newsreel rights were awarded, as the Melbourne organising committee requested licensing payments for the broadcasting rights. However, domestic rights to the games were hastily agreed by the then three Melbourne stations, GTV9 , HSV7 and ABV2 , only

2408-580: The previous games in Helsinki 1952 but was absent in Melbourne 1956 included the People's Republic of China , Liechtenstein , Netherlands Antilles , Saar . Saar was annexed by West Germany. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States . Bahamas , Bermuda , Fiji , Gold Coast , Hong Kong , Jamaica , Kenya , Nigeria , Malaya , North Borneo , Singapore , Trinidad and Tobago , Uganda and British Guyana

2464-468: The right, heading north. At about 30 degrees north latitude, a different set of winds, the westerlies , push the currents back to the east, producing a closed clockwise loop. Its surface is 60.7% water, compared with 80.9% water in the case of the Southern Hemisphere , and it contains 67.3% of Earth's land. The continents of North America and mainland Eurasia are located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, together with about two-thirds of Africa and

2520-619: The teams during the match, resulting in numerous injuries. When Hungary's Ervin Zádor suffered bleeding after being punched by Soviet Union's Valentin Prokopov , spectators attempted to join the violence, but they were blocked by police. The match was cancelled, with Hungary being declared the winner because they were in the lead. Melbourne was selected as the host city over bids from Buenos Aires , Mexico City, Montreal, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and San Francisco at

2576-612: The variation in day and night. Conventionally, winter in the Northern Hemisphere is taken as the period from the December solstice (typically December 21 UTC ) to the March equinox (typically March 20 UTC), while summer is taken as the period from the June solstice through to the September equinox (typically on 23 September UTC). The dates vary each year due to the difference between

2632-491: The way with gold medals in the 100 and 200 metre sprints and the 4 x 100 metre relay. Tom Courtney barely overtook Great Britain's Derek Johnson in the 800 metre run, then collapsed from the exertion and needed medical attention. Ireland's Ronnie Delany ran an outstanding 53.8 over the last 400 metres to win the 1,500 metre run(also Ireland's last gold medal in track events), in which favourite John Landy of Australia finished third. There

2688-448: The weather patterns that affect many factors within the north coast. For the same reason, flows of air down toward the northern surface of the Earth tend to spread across the surface in a clockwise pattern. Thus, clockwise air circulation is characteristic of high pressure weather cells in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, air rising from the northern surface of the Earth (creating a region of low pressure) tends to draw air toward it in

2744-426: The winter months. In the Northern Hemisphere, objects moving across or above the surface of the Earth tend to turn to the right because of the Coriolis effect . As a result, large-scale horizontal flows of air or water tend to form clockwise-turning gyres . These are best seen in ocean circulation patterns in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Within the Northern Hemisphere, oceanic currents can change

2800-427: Was a major upset, marred briefly by controversy, in the 3,000 metre steeplechase. Little-known Chris Brasher of Great Britain finished well ahead of the field, but the judges disqualified him for interfering with Norway's Ernst Larsen , and they announced Sándor Rozsnyói of Hungary as the winner. Brasher's appeal was supported by Larsen, Rozsnyói, and fourth-place finisher Heinz Laufer of Germany. Subsequently,

2856-409: Was all part of the British Empire . These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1956 Games.   *   Host nation (Australia). John Ian Wing of Australia was also presented with a bronze medal, not included in the above table, for suggesting the closing ceremony have athletes as one nation. Multi-sport event The Ancient Olympic Games , first held in 776 BC,

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2912-491: Was established, such as the Far Eastern Championship Games (1913), the Central American and Caribbean Games (1926) or the Pan American Games (1951). The Olympic Games are still the largest multi-sport event in the world in terms of worldwide interest and importance (though no longer in participation), but several others also have significance. Other Games are intended for handicapped or disabled athletes. The International Silent Games , first held in Paris in 1924, were

2968-420: Was presiding over the Olympics for the first time, was still doubtful about Melbourne and was not satisfied by an inspection trip to the city. Construction was well under way by then, thanks to a $ 4.5 million federal loan to Victoria, but it was behind schedule. He still held out the possibility that Rome might have to step in. By the beginning of 1956, though, it was obvious that Melbourne would be ready for

3024-445: Was relayed to Melbourne after being lit at Olympia on 2 November 1956. Greek runners took the flame from Olympia to Athens . The flame was then transferred to a miner's lamp , flown by a Qantas Super Constellation aircraft, "Southern Horizon" to Darwin, Northern Territory . A Royal Australian Air Force English Electric Canberra jet bomber transported the flame to Cairns, Queensland , where it arrived on 9 November 1956 and

3080-414: Was so far ahead of Melbourne in preparations that it might be ready as a replacement site in 1956. Constructing of the sporting venues was given priority over the athlete's village. The village was designed as a whole new suburb with semi-detached houses and flats, the first village that both sexes could cohabitate the same buildings instead of gender designated sections. As late as April 1955, Brundage, who

3136-419: Was the precursor to the Modern Olympic Games , although its first edition only featured a footrace and the number of sporting competitions expanded at later editions. There were several other "games" held in Europe in the classical era : Other multi-sport festivals emerged in the Middle Ages in Europe, including the Cotswold Olimpick Games in England in the 1600s, the Highland Games in Scotland , and

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