The 1904 Olympics

1904 was an eventful year for the city of St. Louis, Missouri: the St. Louis Zoo opened its doors, the World’s Fair was held to celebrate the centenary of the Lousiana Purchase, and somehow the small city found itself being thrust onto the world stage, as the host of one of the most bizarre events in sporting history.

The fact that the Olympic committee originally awarded the 1904 games to Chicago by unanimous vote, yet were somehow convinced to let a small city in southern Missouri host instead, was just the first of many baffling events which would come to be associated with the third Olympic Summer games.

Join us in this episode of The Gallimaufry as we travel back to a time when brick layers ran marathons and strychnine was known for its performance-enhancing properties, and discuss one of the strangest years for the modern Olympic games.