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We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place—one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time.

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History

Recognition and Growth Around the World

From the U.N. to the I.O.C., Special Olympics gains recognition as the premier sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities around the world.

Milestones of the 1980s

June 1981
Wichita, Kansas (USA) Police Chief Richard LaMunyon launches a Special Olympics awareness campaign that becomes the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The Torch Run grows into the movement's largest grassroots fundraiser.

1983
By the mid-1980s, Special Olympics programs have spread to more than 50 countries on every major continent. In 1983, an estimated 4,000 athletes attended the 1983 International Special Olympics Summer Games in Louisiana, USA.

1985
The U.S. Postal Service released this stamp prototype to mark the growth of Special Olympics winter sports -- and salute the 1985 International Winter Games in Park City, Utah.

1986
The United Nations launches the International Year of Special Olympics. The theme is “Special Olympics—Uniting the World.”

Summer 1987
The 1987 International Summer Games in Indiana marked the first primetime broadcast of a Special Olympics event on a major network (ABC-TV).

October 1987
“A Very Special Christmas,” a benefit album featuring holiday music by top rock 'n' roll performers, is released worldwide. It is produced by Jimmy and Vicki Iovine of A&M Records and Bobby Shriver, with all earnings going to Special Olympics. More than 2 million records, compact discs and cassette tapes are sold.

A Very Special Christmas

'A Very Special Christmas' broke records as the most successful benefit recording series ever. Take a look behind the scenes.

February 1988
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) signs a historic agreement with Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver officially endorsing and recognizing Special Olympics.

July 1988
The Special Olympics Unified Sports initiative is launched at Special Olympics conferences in Reno, Nevada, and Lake Tahoe, California. Unified Sports brings together people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams. Bowling, volleyball and softball are the first sports to be included.

Read more about the history of Special Olympics

Out of the Shadows: Events Leading to the Founding of Special Olympics A chronology of the people and events that led to creation of the world’s largest organization dedicated to promoting respect, inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.
Camp Shriver - The Beginning of a Movement When people speak of the origin of Special Olympics, they look no further than the first Camp Shriver—founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in the early 1960s. They talk of one woman's dream that started in her own backyard.
1960s: The Beginning of a Worldwide Movement It all began in the 1950s and early 1960s, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. She decided to take action.
1968 Games Fifty years ago, the world began to change for the better, for millions of people with intellectual disabilities—and for all those who love them. And it started in Chicago, Illinois.
1970s: A Joyful New Movement Gains Momentum Stigma facing people with intellectual disabilities is slowly being replaced with respect and admiration—on the playing fields and off.
1980s: Recognition and Growth Around the World From the United Nations to the International Olympics Committee, Special Olympics gains recognition as the premier sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities around the world.
1990s: Pushing for Inclusion and Improved Health for People with ID The first International Games are held outside the USA, as Special Olympics gains a greater global foothold. New health programs mark a turning point as well.
2000s: The Sun Never Sets on the Special Olympics Movement Our fourth decade is all about growth. Millions of athletes are taking part in thousands of competitions every year. The sun never sets on the Special Olympics movement!
2010s: Building an Inclusive World As the movement continues to grow, the joy of Unified Sports is bringing together people with and without intellectual disabilities on every continent. We invite the world to come play with us -- and experience the transformative power of sports!