# Canonical recap data for 1904 Summer Olympics (1904)
# Source: https://recap.at/1904/1904-summer-olympics
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: 1904-summer-olympics
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1904/1904-summer-olympics"
title: 1904 Summer Olympics
aliases:
- St. Louis 1904
- Games of the Third Olympiad
- 1904 Summer Games
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1904-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1904
decade: 1900
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis marked the first time the Games were held in the United States, though they were overshadowed by the concurrent World's Fair and plagued by poor attendance and logistical chaos.
summaryLong: 6 female athletes represented a negligible percentage of competitors (less than 1%), not 'significant numbers.' The phrasing should reflect this was a minimal, not meaningful, first step.
lede: this distance became the Olympic marathon standard following the 1908 London Olympics, when the course measured 26 miles 385 yards; this specific distance was later formally adopted as the international benchmark.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/1904_Olimpika_maratono.jpg/1280px-1904_Olimpika_maratono.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "1904"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Total athletes
  value: "651"
- label: American athletes
  value: "530"
- label: Female athletes
  value: "6"
- label: Duration
  value: July 1 – November 23, 1904 (147 days)
- label: Nations represented
  value: competitors from 62 nations, though only 12 nations sent official delegations
- label: Standardized marathon distance
  value: 26 miles 385 yards (26.2 miles)
- label: Venue
  value: St. Louis, Missouri, primarily Forest Park
- label: World's Fair concurrent attendance
  value: 20 million visitors
timeline:
- date: 1901-11-01
  title: St. Louis selected as Olympic host
  description: The International Olympic Committee selects St. Louis to host the 1904 Olympics; the Games are organized to run concurrently with the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
- date: 1904-07-01
  title: Olympic events begin
  description: The first events commence at Forest Park in St. Louis, with the Games running concurrently with the World's Fair.
- date: 1904-08-29
  title: Marathon competition held
  description: The marathon course is adjusted to end at the Olympic Stadium reviewing stand, resulting in a distance of approximately 26.2 miles.
- date: 1904-09-03
  title: Women compete at Olympics
  description: Six female athletes from the United States compete in select events including archery, golf, and tennis, continuing female participation in the Olympic Games.
- date: 1904-11-23
  title: Games conclude
  description: The 1904 Olympics officially end after approximately 4.5 months, concluding the Games with a sprawling schedule that set a precedent later rejected by the International Olympic Committee.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: wright-brothers-first-flight
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 75
  evidence: St. Louis 1904 Olympics occurred eight months before the Wright Brothers' first flight (December 1903 actually precedes it slightly, but both events bookend 1903–1904 as turning points in American technological confidence and global prominence.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: 1896-athens-olympics
  type: evolved_from
  confidence: 92
  evidence: The 1904 St. Louis Olympics directly expanded on the 1896 Athens revival of the modern Olympic Games, inheriting the IOC structure and multi-sport format while pioneering the first non-European Games location.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: russo-japanese-war
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 85
  evidence: Both the 1904 St. Louis Olympics and the Russo-Japanese War occurred in 1904, with Russian and Japanese athletes competing in St. Louis even as their nations fought in Asia-highlighting the Olympics' independence from geopolitical conflict.
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://live.staticflickr.com/2875/12064073804_bc3690beda_b.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://live.staticflickr.com/2875/12064073804_bc3690beda_b.jpg"
  caption: (Previous hero, demoted by topical-relevance swap)
  credit: ""
  width: 0
  height: 0
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Maple Leaf Rag
  artist: Scott Joplin
  year: 1899
  note: Ragtime was at peak popularity in the U.S. in 1904, defining the era's musical character.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
topFilms:
- title: The Great Train Robbery
  year: 1903
  note: This Edison Studios film from the previous year dominated audiences and represented the cutting edge of cinema in 1904.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
- title: An Arrangement of Daisies
  year: 1904
  note: Short actualities and simple narrative films were the norm; feature-length cinema had not yet emerged.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: In 1904, America was at the height of the Progressive Era and Theodore Roosevelt's expansionist presidency. The St. Louis Olympics reflected both American confidence in hosting a world-class event and the era's explicit racial and gender hierarchies-evidenced by the controversial 'Anthropology Days' exhibition, which featured athletes from colonized peoples. Meanwhile, the Wright Brothers were preparing for their historic flight at Kitty Hawk (December 1903), and industrial dominance defined American self-perception.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Number of competing nations
  thenValue: "62"
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 206+
  nowYear: 2024
  note: St. Louis drew competitors from 62 nations; modern Olympics typically include over 206 national Olympic committees.
- metric: Female athletes as percentage of competitors
  thenValue: <1%
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 48%
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Women were banned from nearly all events in 1904; the IOC has mandated gender parity by 2024.
- metric: Duration of Games
  thenValue: 4.5 months (July–November) (1904)
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 16 days
  nowYear: 2024
  note: St. Louis's sprawling schedule was condensed to the modern standard by the 1908 London Olympics.
- metric: Number of events
  thenValue: "91"
  thenYear: 1904
  nowValue: 329 (2024)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: St. Louis featured 91 events across 17 sports; the 2024 Paris Olympics includes 329 events.
impactStatement: Should specify that while competitors from 62 nations are listed, only 12 nations sent official delegations, making the event far less internationally representative than stated.
consequences:
- title: Women's Olympic participation expands
  year: 1912
  description: The Stockholm Olympics in 1912 saw women compete in swimming for the first time, directly responding to their near-total exclusion in St. Louis. By 1928, women's athletics were added to the Olympic program.
- title: Standardized Olympic calendar established
  year: 1908
  description: The 1908 London Olympics adopted a traditional two-week format and strict competition schedule, rejecting St. Louis's chaotic six-month model and setting the template for all subsequent modern Games.
- title: Olympic host rotation becomes global norm
  year: 1920
  description: After St. Louis, the International Olympic Committee committed to rotating the Games across continents and nations. The 1920 Antwerp Olympics in Belgium reinforced this principle of international rotation.
- title: Amateur-only Olympic rule enforced
  year: 1912
  description: St. Louis's muddled amateurism standards (some athletes were paid, others weren't) prompted the IOC to codify strict amateur-only rules by the 1912 Stockholm Games.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- sports
metaDescription: The 1904 Summer Olympics came to St. Louis with 651 athletes competing across 94 events. American dominance defined the Games, though the remote location kept international participation sparse.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:1904-summer-olympics"
relatedQueries:
- St. Louis World's Fair 1904
- 1904 Olympics marathon Thomas Hicks strychnine
- Olympic Anthropology Days 1904
- Charles Daniels swimmer 1904 Olympics
- George Eyser gymnast wooden leg Olympics
- early Olympic Games attendance problems
- 1904 Olympics logistical failures
translations:
es:
lede: esta distancia se estableció como estándar de maratón siguiendo el curso de los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 1908 y fue codificada oficialmente por el Comité Olímpico Internacional en 1921.
summaryShort: Los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1904 en St. Louis marcaron la primera vez que los Juegos se celebraron en Estados Unidos, aunque fueron opacados por la Feria Mundial concurrente y afectados por una asistencia deficiente y caos logístico.
summaryLong: 6 atletas femeninas representaron un porcentaje insignificante de competidoras (menos del 1%), no 'números significativos'. La redacción debe reflejar que fue un primer paso mínimo, no significativo.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T22:57:57.596Z"
fr:
lede: cette distance a été établie comme norme du marathon suite au parcours des Jeux olympiques de Londres 1908 et codifiée officiellement par le Comité international olympique en 1921.
summaryShort: Les Jeux olympiques d'été de 1904 à St. Louis marquaient la première fois que les Jeux se déroulaient aux États-Unis, bien qu'ils aient été éclipsés par l'Exposition universelle concomitante et affligés par une faible participation et un chaos logistique.
summaryLong: 6 athlètes féminines représentaient un pourcentage négligeable de concurrentes (moins de 1%), non des « chiffres significatifs ». La formulation devrait refléter qu'il s'agissait d'un premier pas minimal, non significatif.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T22:57:59.736Z"
de:
lede: Diese Distanz wurde nach dem Kurs der Olympischen Spiele von 1908 in London als Marathon-Standard etabliert und später 1921 vom Internationalen Olympischen Komitee offiziell kodifiziert.
summaryShort: Die Olympischen Sommerspiele 1904 in St. Louis waren das erste Mal, dass die Spiele in den Vereinigten Staaten stattfanden, wurden aber durch die gleichzeitig stattfindende Weltausstellung überschattet und von schlechtem Besuch und logistischem Chaos geplagt.
summaryLong: 6 weibliche Athletinnen stellten einen vernachlässigbaren Prozentsatz der Teilnehmer dar (weniger als 1%), nicht 'bedeutende Zahlen'. Die Formulierung sollte widerspiegeln, dass dies ein minimaler, kein bedeutungsvoller, erster Schritt war.
generatedAt: "2026-06-04T22:58:02.837Z"
geo:
lat: 39.7837304
lng: -100.445882
place: United States
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
