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1956 Summer Olympics facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Stamp of USSR 2027
A postage stamp from the USSR celebrating gymnastics at the 1956 games

The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially called the Games of the XVI Olympiad, was a major international sports event. It took place in Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne was chosen as the host city on April 28, 1949. It won against other big cities like Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Montreal.

Interestingly, the horse riding events, known as equestrian events, could not be held in Australia. This was due to strict animal health rules in Australia. So, these events happened five months earlier in Stockholm, Sweden. This made the 1956 Olympics unique, as it was only the second time parts of the same Olympic Games were held in different countries.

Countries That Competed

A total of 67 nations sent their best athletes to compete in the Melbourne Games.

Five other nations competed only in the horse riding events in Stockholm. Their athletes did not take part in the main Games in Melbourne. These five countries were Cambodia, Egypt, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.

Related Pages

1956 Summer Olympic games countries
Countries that participated in the 1956 Olympics


Olympic rings.svg Olympic Games
Summer Games: 1896, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1912, (1916), 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, (1940), (1944), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028
Winter Games: 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, (1940), (1944), 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
Athens 2004 — Turin 2006 — Beijing 2008 — Vancouver 2010 — London 2012 — Sochi 2014 — Rio 2016 — Pyeongchang 2018 — Tokyo 2020

Games in italics will be held in the future, and those in (brackets) were cancelled because of war. See also: Ancient Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg Youth Olympic Games
Summer Games: 2010, 2014, 2018
Winter Games: 2012, 2016, 2020
Singapore 2010 — Innsbruck 2012 — Nanjing 2014

Images for kids

  • 1956 Summer Olympics (Melbourne) boycotting countries (blue)

    Countries that boycotted the 1956 Games are shaded blue

  • 1956 Olympic Torch relay Cairns

    Torch relay monument, Cairns

  • Melbourne olmpic pool (lexus centre)

    The heritage registered former Olympic Pool (now the Holden Centre), viewed from the Yarra River

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Melbourne 1956 para niños

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