White City: the world's first Olympic stadium

The modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896, but it was not until their fourth edition, held in London 1908, that they had a purpose-built stadium as their sporting and ceremonial heart. This article explores that stadium’s history. At a time when the Olympic movement did not consider the legacies of its venues, the stadium was due to close at the end of 1908: but it survived and found multiple new uses before its closure and demolition in 1985. The article considers the stadium’s unplanned influence on London’s sporting life, and ends with a review of the site now.