Pierre de Coubertin, Founder of the Modern Olympics

If you've been enjoying the spectacle of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, you are soaking up a tradition with its roots in the late 19th century. A French aristocrat became an unlikely sporting hero when he devoted himself to reviving the spirit of the Olympics held in ancient Greece.

Pierre de Coubertin, who witnessed his country's defeat at the hands of Bismarck's impressive troops in the Franco-Prussian War, came to believe physical fitness must balance intellectual pursuits. And in time Coubertin came up with a wild dream, a plan to revive the Olympic festivals of the ancient Greeks.

Thanks to Coubertin's obsessive drive, delegates from a dozen countries assembled in 1894, and Greece hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896. The first Winter Games were held in 1924.

Seeing the enormous spectacle of the Winter Games, it's hard to believe that it's all because of a 19th century visionary, Pierre de Coubertin.

Photograph: Pierre de Coubertin/Library of Congress