French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) was the founder of the modern Olympic Games.

Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin, was born to a wealthy family in Paris on New Year's Day of 1863. He was raised with the notion that the French people had been humiliated by the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian War. Coubertin believed this defeat came about because the French were weak, not educated to deal with current life, and untrained in physical sports. The French educational system emphasized the life of the mind exclusively, and many people believed that physical activity would take energy away from mental growth. Coubertin felt this was an unbalanced approach, and that excessive intellectualism had led to the defeat of his country.

Early Interest in Sports

As the member of a wealthy family, Coubertin did not face the pressure of having to make a living as a young man. He rode...