Answer: The Winter Olympics first took place in 1924, in Chamonix, France. A total of 16 nations sent athletes, totaling 258 (247 men and 11 women). The Games were actually called "The International Winter Sports Week" and went on for 11 days, from January 25 to February 5. The number of events staged that year was 16.
The events that year were these:
4-man bobsled
Biathlon
Curling
Figure skating (men's, women's, pairs)
Hockey
Cross country Skiing (18k, 50k)
Ski jumping
Nordic combined skiing
Speed skating (500m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, combined)
The very first event was the 500-meter speed skating, which was won by Charlie Jewtraw, an American. The big winners, though, were Finland and Norway. Between them, they won 28 of the 43 medals awarded. Norway had 17; Finland had 11; the U.S. and Great Britain got 4; Austria, Switzerland, and France received 3; Sweden won 2; and Canada got 1.
Step-by-step explanation: