19 Vintage Photos from the Olympics — from Jesse Owens' Historic Feat to Michael Phelps' RecordBreaking Streak Stephanie SengweFebruary 6, 2026 at 3:30 AM 0 Nadia Comaneci; Venus and Serena Williams; Michael Phelps Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty; Gary M Prior/Allsport; MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty The modern Winter and Summer Olympics give athletes around the world the chance to bring their best feet forward.
- - 19 Vintage Photos from the Olympics — from Jesse Owens' Historic Feat to Michael Phelps' Record-Breaking Streak
Stephanie SengweFebruary 6, 2026 at 3:30 AM
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Nadia Comaneci; Venus and Serena Williams; Michael Phelps
Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty; Gary M Prior/Allsport; MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty
The modern Winter and Summer Olympics give athletes around the world the chance to bring their best feet forward.
Dating all the way back to 1896, participating nations send their most qualified track stars, gymnasts, figure skaters, swimmers, tennis players and more to vie for their country's glory on the world stage. So, naturally, the Olympics have produced some of the most nail-biting, heartwarming and controversial moments of all time.
As we gear up for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicking off today, (live coverage will begin at 2 p.m. EST, with the primetime event starting at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock), check out some vintage photos from past Games below.
01 of 19
Making History
Jesse Owens
Getty
Jesse Owens of Team USA was pictured in action during the men's 200m at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Berlin. Owens would go on to win a total of four gold medals that year, a feat that refuted Hitler's ideology that Black people were inferior.
02 of 19
The Greatest of All Time
Eddie Crook, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), and Skeeter McClure
FPG/Getty
Eddie Crook, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) and Skeeter McClure hang out with their gold medals on display while in the Olympic Village in 1960, Rome.
03 of 19
Women Supporting Women
Wilma Rudolph, Dorothy Hyman, Guiseppina Leone
Getty
Dorothy Hyman, Wilma Rudolph and Giuseppina Leone shake hands while standing on the podium at the 1960 Olympics.
04 of 19
Going for Gold
Mark Spitz
Getty
U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz proudly displays the five gold medals he won in the 1972 Summer Olympics. Winning seven gold medals total, he was the most decorated athlete at the 1972 games in Munich.
05 of 19
Trailblazing Teen
Nadia Comaneci
Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comǎneci stood victorious on the podium with one of the three gold medals she won at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. At just 14-years-old, Comǎneci was the first gymnast in history to get a perfect score for her routine.
06 of 19
A-Line
Kristi Yamaguchi
Getty
Kristi Yamaguchi of Team U.S.A. became the first Asian-American to win an Olympic Gold Medal during the France Olympics in 1992.
07 of 19
Living the Dream
Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, and Karl Malone
John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty
The 1992 Dream Team members Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, and Karl Malone got their flowers after winning the Men's Gold Medal Game vs Croatia at the Spain Olympics in 1992.
08 of 19
Feeling the Pride
Nigeria's Olympic soccer team
PASCAL GEORGE/AFP via Getty
Nigeria's Olympic soccer team posed in their green and white after beating out Argentina for the gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
09 of 19
Wowing the Judges
Surya Bonaly
Stephen JAFFE / AFP via Gett
France's Surya Bonaly stunned the judges during her performance in the women's Olympic figure skating competition in Nagano, 1998. After years of feeling underrated, Bonaly made waves at the 1998 Olympics after she performed an illegal backflip in protest.
10 of 19
Power Duo
Venus and Serena Williams
Gary M Prior/Allsport
Team U.S.A.'s Venus and Serena Williams pose with their gold after winning the Women's Doubles Tennis Final at the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia. They would win together again in 2008 and 2012.
11 of 19
Big Celebrations
Shaun White and family
Mike Powell/Getty
Shaun White and his family are ecstatic as they celebrate his winning the gold medal in the Men's Halfpipe finals in Italy, 2006.
12 of 19
Roar of Triumph
Michael Phelps
MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty
Michael Phelps triumphantly surfaced from the water after winning the men's 100m butterfly swimming final, which earned him a seventh gold medal and tied Mark Spitz's 1972 record. He would add another and officially set the record for most wins in a single Olympics.
13 of 19
Big Winners
Team USA Men's Team
Al Bello/Getty
Phelps, along with teammates Brendan Hansen, Jason Lezak and Aaron Piersol showed off their fresh bling.
14 of 19
Lightning Bolt
Usain Bolt
FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty
The gap wasn't even close between Usain Bolt and his competitors, as the famed Jamaican track star raced to victory during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
15 of 19
Winning Trio
Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Vonn, Elisabeth Görgl
Clive Mason/Getty
Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn of the United States celebrate with Austria's Elisabeth Görgl during the flower ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies Downhill during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
16 of 19
Happy Feet
Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Matthew Stockman/Getty
Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States compete in the Figure Skating Team Ice Dance at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. They would become the first American team to win Olympic gold in ice dance.
17 of 19
Making Hearts Race
Hoda Kotb with Pita Taufatofua
Joe Scarnici/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Tongan flag bearer Pita Taufatofua had the internet buzzing during the opening ceremony in 2016, so naturally, Today's Hoda Kotb had to make sure he is oiled up perfectly for their segment.
18 of 19
Viva Brazil!
Brazil Olympic Men's Football Team
Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty
Neymar Jr. of Brazil and his teammates take a bite of the gold after besting Germany in Rio, 2016.
19 of 19
Road to G.O.A.T.
Simone Biles
Quinn Rooney/Getty
Simone Biles began her reign at the 2016 Olympics, pictured here in perfect form as she competes on the floor during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Team Final. She would win five medals that year — four gold, one bronze — and set the record for most gold medals won in women's gymnastics in a single Olympics.
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Published: February 06, 2026 at 01:46PM on Source: MANUEL MAG
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