Event    From 29/7/1948  To 14/8/1948

Olympic Games - 1948

Categories: Sport / Games

The 1948 Summer Olympics were the first Summer Olympics held since the 1936 Games in Berlin. The second time London had hosted, 1908 being the first.

The 1948 Olympics came to be known as the "Austerity Games" due to the difficult economic climate and rationing imposed following WW2. No new venues were built for the games. Events took place mainly at Wembley Stadium, also known as Empire Stadium, and the Empire Pool at Wembley Park. Basketball and other indoor events were held at the Harringay Arena. Field hockey preliminaries took place at the Lyons' Sports Club, Sudbury.  Athletes were housed in existing accommodation in the Wembley area.

Germany and Japan were not invited to participate.

2024: The Guardian reported "Wooden sauna from 1948 London Olympics gets Grade II listing". It's in Aylesford near Maidstone, Kent.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Olympic Games - 1948

Commemorated ati

Olympic Way - 2023 plaque

On the day this plaque was unveiled so was a restored plaque from 1948, at th...

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Other Subjects

Captain Hugh Ince Webb-Bowen

Captain Hugh Ince Webb-Bowen

Despite extensive research we have been unable to trace a Henry Ince Webb-Bowen who played for the London Welsh Rugby Club, who was born in 1878 and who died in 1915 in WW1. We believe whoever comm...

Person, Armed Forces, Law, Sport / Games, Egypt, India, South Africa, Turkey, Wales

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Chris Finnegan

Chris Finnegan

Boxer. Born at 2 St Laurence Close, Cowley, Middlesex. In 1966 he became Amateur Boxing Association middleweight champion. Won gold in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. In 1971 and again in 1975 he...

Person, Sport / Games, Mexico

1 memorial
Sir Jack Hobbs

Sir Jack Hobbs

Professional cricketer who played for Surrey 1905-34 and for England in 61 Test matches 1908-30. Born John Berry Hobbs in Cambridge. Knighted 1953. Died at home in Hove. Our image shows Hobbs c.1920.

Person, Sport / Games

1 memorial
London Welsh RFC

London Welsh RFC

The club was formed in 1885 to cater to ex-pat Welsh rugby players living in London. Following a successful period they turned professional in 2009 and moved to Oxford in 2012. However this was fin...

Group, Sport / Games, Wales

2 memorials
Ze'ev Friedman

Ze'ev Friedman

Weightlifter. Born in either Prokopyevsk, Russia or Poland, he moved to Israel in 1960. He began his career as a gymnast, but switched direction and won a bronze medal at the 1971 Asian Weightlifti...

Person, Sport / Games, Tragedy, Germany, Israel/Palestine, Poland, Russia

1 memorial