94 years ago today, on August 14, 1932, nearly 100,000 people packed into Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to watch the Closing Ceremony of the city’s first-ever Summer Olympics.
As an orchestra played the Hawaiian farewell song “Aloha ‘Oe,” the flame was extinguished, and the city said goodbye to athletes from around the world.
However, the 1932 Games did much more than put L.A. on the global sports map. The 16-day spectacle introduced several details that are now key elements at every Olympic Games to this day.
And now, Angelenos have a chance to help shape the next chapter, as LA28 recruits up to 60,000 volunteers for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The L.A. Olympics that helped create the modern Games
The 1932 Olympics took place from July 30 to August 14, right in the middle of the Great Depression. The event drew more than 1 million spectators and turned a profit of over $1 million over its 16-day run.
These early Games also established several traditions that became the model for just about every Summer Games afterward, according to Olympics.com:
- The 16-day Olympic schedule, setting a precedent for an overall shorter Games period, whereas previous Games stretched on for weeks or months
- The three-tiered victory podium for gold, silver, and bronze medalists
- On-site medal ceremonies held at the venue directly after the competition
- National flags and anthems as part of the Summer Olympic medal presentations, which had been introduced earlier that same year at the Winter Games in Lake Placid
- A telecommunications network linking competition sites for organizers and the press
- Centralized, high-precision timekeeping, accurate to hundredths of a second
The 1932 Games also presented the first modern Olympic Village that we know today, developing on Paris’ more rudimentary version introduced in 1924—although it was reserved for male athletes only.
With the exception of the Olympic Village, all of the 1932 competition sites are still standing today. Several of them, such as Memorial Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, Long Beach Marine Stadium, and the Riviera Country Club, will be used again at the 2028 Games.
You can still carry on the legacy as a volunteer
As we all know, Los Angeles is gearing up to host the Olympic Games for a third time from July 14-30, 2026, followed by the city’s first Paralympic Games from August 15-27, 2028.
And if today’s anniversary has you wondering how to join the action, LA28 is currently recruiting up to 60,000 volunteers to support ceremonies, communications, driving, guest experience, operations, sport, translation, and more.
If you’re interested in applying, read our LA28 volunteer guide to learn more.
