It is 200 years since the Greek War of Independence in 1821, and 125 years since the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens. The International Olympic Academy in Ancient Olympia, founded 60 years ag-, is also set to re-open after renovations.

Celebratory events to mark each anniversary are planned in Greece, although their exact form remains uncertain.

Athens is also scheduled to host an International Olympic Committee session in March, set to be the first face-to-face meeting of all its members since the pandemic began.

Athens had first welcomed the IOC in 1896 at the imposing Hotel Grande Bretagne, a few metres from what is now the Greek Parliament across Syntagma Square. Every day, many thousands walk past, perhaps unaware of the building’s rich Olympic heritage.

It had been built in the 1840s as a private residence, but was purchased in 1874 by hotelier Savvas Kentros and, in partnership with entrepreneur Stathis Lampsas, conversion to a hotel soon followed.

"Not likely that a hotel like this will ever meet its match," wrote the poet George Souris.

In 1894, Athens was chosen to stage the first Olympic games of the modern era. For all the prestige they brought, some were unenthusiastic, among them Greek Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis.

Pierre de Coubertin travelled to Athens to win hearts and minds and stayed at the Grande Bretagne. A fellow guest was Demetrios Vikelas, the Greek elected as first President of what became known as the International Olympic Committee (IOC). At the time the leadership changed according to the nation hosting the Games.

The Panhellenic Gymnastics Association honoured Coubertin with a gala dinner and toasted him with fine wines from the hotel’s cellar.

Coubertin returned to Paris and a deal with travel agent Thomas Cook was soon signed. They were the first foreign travel agents to operate in Greece and were given space at the Grande Bretagne to look after visitors.

Games organisers faced many obstacles, not least finding sufficient finance, but by March 1896, all was ready as Russian IOC member Alexei de Boutowsky recorded "during the last exhausting week in Athens, we observed further preparations" as flags and billboards were erected and illuminations installed.

Coubertin had by now arrived with his wife Marie.

At the Grande Bretagne, he told a journalist from Greek newspaper To Asty: "I stand by my original concept and I am firmly dedicated to its aim which is to hold peaceful international competition among the youth of the world while creating an international athletic brotherhood."

Many sports officials were also amongst the hotel’s guests that week. They included French Fencing Federation president Armand de la Frémoire and members of the team amongst the guests.

There were also six other IOC members, all from Europe, gathered for the 1896 "Session of Athens". Nowadays more attend IOC Executive Board meetings!

Some IOC meetings were held in the hotel. Proceedings were recorded in handwritten minutes of the first such gathering since 1894. These record that Vikelas "made clear the necessity for more frequent meetings."

Paris had already been selected as the 1900 host city, but Coubertin wanted progress on 1904. He reminded his colleagues of New York’s interest. Sweden’s Viktor Balck put forward Stockholm and spoke of Royal family support.

German member Willibald Gebhardt proposed Berlin, supported by Ferenc Kemeny from Hungary.

Kemeny also spoke of his unhappiness at what he described as "the regrettable inactivity of some members". Stricter rules on attendance were agreed.

The IOC was already protocol-conscious. Kemeny proposed that a wreath be laid at the statue of Georgios Averof, the benefactor who had financed the restoration of the marble stadium used for the Games.

Coubertin suggested flowers be sent to the princesses at the nearby Royal Palace and that an address be sent to the Crown Prince Constantine.

At this time his official position was secretary, but on the second day, he chaired the meeting because Vikelas was unable to attend.

Although some nations such as Greece, France and Hungary had already done so, Gebhardt "suggested the formation in each country of a strong National [Olympic] Committee, subsidized as much as possible by the Government."

Then the Olympic Games themselves opened. The date was Monday, April 6.

Greek records list opening day March 25, which happened to be the national day, because at the time the Julian calendar was still in use.

Whatever the date, Coubertin wrote in his memoirs: "The great day finally arrived when the crowd was admitted to the stadium. The idea had become reality and was now part of history."

Crown Prince Constantine told the crowd: "We have done our utmost to give to this festival as much splendour as possible."

Then King George opened the Games before a performance of a "cantata for the Olympic Games" conducted by the composer Spiros Samaras.

The lyrics by Greek national poet Kostas Palamis were "to give life and animation to those noble Games".

It created "an immense sensation" and was played twice and is now the official Olympic Hymn.

James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first modern Olympic champion. "In compliment to his nationality, the American flag was hoisted in the centre of the arena.”

That night, Athens lived up to its name as the "City of Light" as "Arches of flaming gaslights were placed at equal distances on Constitution [Syntagma] Square. The effect was something magnificent." The Parthenon was lit up and hotel guests enjoyed a perfect view.

The following day fencer Leon Pyrgos gave the host nation its first Olympic champion since the days of antiquity. 

"One can easily imagine with what frenetic applause he was greeted from all sides," said the official report.

Yet the most famous of all 1896 was a shepherd from Maroussi in the Athenian suburbs. Spiridon Louis won the inaugural Olympic marathon.

"Everyone’s eyes were filled with tears of joy. The stadium was in a frenzy", reported Estia - a newspaper in Athens.

Many receptions were held, and at the Grande Bretagne, Louis was feted and sculptor Georgios Vroutos presented each champion with a statuette of Nike, goddess of victory.

Coubertin had spoken with some concern of "the nationalistic fervour of the Greeks intoxicated by the idea of seeing Athens become the permanent home of the Games."

In 1906, Olympic Games were held in Athens marking the 10th anniversary of the first modern Games but Coubertin wanted to ensure they remained international and not solely the preserve of Greece. "The group formed by the IOC represented the perennial nature of the enterprise and the international character I was determined to preserve at all costs."

The IOC returned to Athens in 1934 and 1954 when the Grande Bretagne hosted the Session once again.

This time, IOC President Avery Brundage gave "a hearty welcome to the numerous members who took the trouble to travel here." French member Armand Massard read a message from Coubertin’s widow Marie. 

"Permit me to recall a few remembrances, being today the only member of the Olympic family present at the birth of modern Olympism, and attending the first Games. The young International Olympic Committee, composed of seven eminent members, assembled to hold its first meeting under the presidency of the writer and patriot Vikelas.

Let us honour the memory of those who contributed to re-establishing this most grandiose manifestation of the highest of civilizations."

The Session discussed a familiar problem, reducing the numbers of competitors and officials.

They vetoed an 800 metres for women and speed skating for 1956. Volleyball, judo and roller skating all made their case for Olympic inclusion without success.

The bombshell of the Session was confirmation that Australian quarantine laws prevented the staging of equestrian competitions at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

Eventually Lord Burghley proposed "that the Games should be retained in Melbourne, while begging our Australian friends to forego the project of organizing the equestrian events." They eventually took place in Stockholm.

Athens hosted further sessions in 1961 and 1978 before launching a bid for "Golden Games" to mark the Olympic centenary in 1996. Its hopes were dashed at the 1990 Session in Tokyo when Atlanta was chosen instead.

Even so, the Greek capital was determined to celebrate in 1996, when the Grande Bretagne became a focus for Athenian celebrations of the Olympic centenary.

The IOC Executive Board staged a meeting in the very hotel room used in 1896. Greek historians Rena Tobler, Aphrodite Papastephanou and Olympic specialist Athanasios Tarasoleas documented the hotel’s Olympic heritage for a special book.

In the nearby Panathinaiko Stadium, the Flame handover ceremony for Atlanta incorporated a re-enactment of the 1896 Games, watched by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. Participants wore replicas of 1896 athletic costume and included 1984 Olympic 110m hurdles gold medallist Roger Kingdom.

High jumper Niki Bakoyianni and windsurfer Nikos Kaklamanakis arrived together with the Olympic Torch which had been lit the week before in Ancient Olympia.

Before this was passed to Atlanta’s organisers, Voula Patoulidou, 100m hurdles gold medallist from 1992, led a symbolic relay around the stadium. It featured gold medallists Adrian Moorhouse, Anders Gärderud, Livio Berruti, Heide Rosendahl, Renate Stecher and IOC member Anita de Frantz.

A runner from every Olympic host city took part. Afterwards each was taken back to the Hotel Grande Bretagne in an open carriage to set the seal on a memorable night.