Wilde had been enjoying an affair with the Marquess of Queensbury's son since 1891, but, when the Marquess denounced Wilde as a homosexual, Wilde sued him.

Wilde lost the case and, as homosexuality was a crime in England at the time, he was sentenced to two years hard labour. He was released from prison in 1897 when he fled to Paris. He died in 1900.

Athens: Greek King Georgios I, greeted 280 contestants from 13 nations to the Games which consisted of 43 events.

The Games had been abolished by Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD. Theodosius was a Christian, determined to suppress paganism.

Since then, the Games have grown dramatically. In 2000 at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, more than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries participated.