2004 Athens OlympicsAthens, Greece, was the home of the ancient Olympic Games and host of the first modern Olympics in 1896. In 2004, the games returned to their birthplace. Here, drummers surround the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony on August 13, 2004.In addition to being the first Olympic Games to feature women's wrestling, the 2004 games also saw American swimming superstar Michael Phelps tie the medal record with eight (six gold and two bronze). Argentina won the gold in men's soccer without conceding a single goal, and the U.S. softball team took gold scoring 51 total runs and giving up only one.
Photograph by Ian Waldie, Getty Images
