International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is an organization responsible for arranging the modern summer and winter Olympic Games. Each seasonal event is held every four years in different cities around the world.

Fast Facts

1. Phone number: (41.21) 621-61-11
2. Fax: (41.21) 621-62-16
3. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland
4. President: Jacques Rogge of Belgium
5. Non-governmental, non-profit organization
6. Retains rights to marketing, broadcasting and reproduction of the Olympics
7. Receives most funding from Olympics broadcast rights¹
8. IOC President serves term of eight years with a possible four-year renewal²
9. Members serve renewable eight-year terms until age 70²
10. Maximum of 115 members¹
11. 2008 Beijing Olympics criticized as "Genocide Olympics"³

Key Dates

1. June 23, 1894: Created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas
2. 1896: First Summer Olympics organized by the IOC in Athens, Greece
3. 1924: First Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France
4. 1921: Executive Board founded
5. 1992: Summer and winter games are held two years apart instead of during the same year

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