Fascinating Facts to Know and Tell
A Brief History of Tennis
The game of tennis evolved from a version in the 12th century that was played with bare hands instead of a racket, known as jeu de paume (“game of the palm”) which was played in monasteries in northern France. The word “tennis” began appearing in European literary works about 200 years later, and a glove was used instead of bare hands. By the 16th century, the racket replaced the glove and the game was played in an enclosed area. This version of the game is now referred to as real tennis or royal tennis, due to its popularity with royalty. One of royal tennis’ fans included King Henry VIII of England, and it is believed he was watching a match when his second wife Anne Boleyn was arrested, and later that he was playing when he heard the news of her execution.
Olympic Medals for Art
The modern Olympic Games used to award medals in art competitions divided into five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture and all entries were inspired by sports. The art competitions ended after the 1948 London Olympics when officials declared it was unfair to permit professionals to compete, unlike the mandate that only amateur athletes could compete in the sporting events. Since then, noncompetitive art exhibitions have occurred during the Games. The 2016 Rio culture program, Celebra (Celebrate), will produce open-air activities in music, literature, visual arts, theater, and dance aimed at awakening the sporting spirit.