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Awesome Black and White Photos of the Early Days of Winter Olympics

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Figure skaters pose at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. From left are Herma Planck-Szabo of Hungary, Ethel Muckelt of Britain and Beatrix Loughran of the U.S. (Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Figure skaters pose at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. From left are Herma Planck-Szabo of Hungary, Ethel Muckelt of Britain and Beatrix Loughran of the U.S. (Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

We all know that the Olympics have a very long and rich history. However, the Winter Olympics did not begin until 1924.

The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France in the French Alps. Sixteen nations competed that year.

Originally deemed “International Winter Sports Week,” the games were so successful that in 1928 the International Olympic Committee officially named the Winter Games of that year, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, as the second Winter Olympics, retroactively making Chamonix the first, according to History.com.

(MORE: Most Unforgettable Moments in Winter Olympic History)

The U.S. won only one gold medal in 1924 -- the 500-meter speed-skating event, thanks to Charles Jewtraw. Canada won the gold in hockey, as Scandinavia dominated in skating and skiing.

Norwegian-born ski jumper, Anders Haugen, competed for the U.S. team, and won his bronze medal 50 years later, at the age of 86. The Chamonix games listed Haugen as fourth-place, but in 1974 a mathematical scoring error was discovered, according to the New York Times. He was found to have actually come in third all those years ago. Haugen was finally given his medal just 10 years before his death.

History.com reports that of the 300 atheletes, there were only 13 women in the 1924 games, all figure skaters.

The Winter Olympics of 1932 were held in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the games of 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The 1940 and 1944 Winter Olympic Games were canceled due to World War II. St. Moritz hosted the games in 1948 again.

This slideshow takes a look at the early days of double axles, bobsledding and beyond in the Olympic Games.

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