1940 Olympics Cancelled in Japan Because of World War II

 The Olympics scheduled for this summer in Tokyo look like they will be put off until next year because of you-know-what.  This will not be the first time the Olympics have been cancelled or put off.  It also happened in 1916, 1940 and 1944 when they were altogether cancelled.

I wrote about the 1916 one during World War I in my Cooter's History Thing blog.

From the March 22, 2020, Chicago Tribune "Olympics:  Groundswell builds" by Eddie Pells, AP.

1940 SUMMER OLYMPICS

In an era when the selected nation go the option of hosting both the Summer and Winter Games in the same year, Japan was a surprising choice as the first non-Western country to be awarded the Olympics.

Tokyo was to be the summer host, with Sapporo getting the winter version.

Again, war got in the way.  After World War II began in September 1939  with Germany's invasion of Poland, the Olympics were cancelled altogether.

Tokyo would eventually get the chance to host the Summer Games in 1964 -- still the first Asian city to receive the honor -- while Sapporo landed the 1972 Winter Games.

--GreGen