Historical eventJanuary 181983

International Olympic Committee

Thirty years after his death, the International Olympic Committee presented commemorative medals to the family of American athlete Jim Thorpe, who had been stripped of his gold medals for playing semi-professional baseball before the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Everything on January 18Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, January 18 198343 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1983.

What came beforeAI-assisted

Jim Thorpe won two gold medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm for the pentathlon and decathlon. In 1913, the International Olympic Committee stripped him of both medals after discovering he had played semi-professional baseball in 1911, violating the Olympic amateur-only rule of that era.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

The IOC began reconsidering Thorpe's case in the 1970s and 1980s as attitudes toward amateurism rules evolved. By 1983, the committee decided to restore his honor by presenting commemorative medals to his family, acknowledging the severity of the original punishment.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

Jim Thorpe (1887–1953) was a Sac and Fox Nation athlete widely considered one of the greatest American sportsmen of the 20th century. The International Olympic Committee made the official decision to honor him posthumously through his surviving family members.

TimelineAI-assisted

1912: Thorpe wins gold medals in pentathlon and decathlon at Stockholm Olympics. 1913: IOC strips medals after learning of semi-professional baseball career.

1982–1983: IOC reverses decision and restores Thorpe's Olympic legacy. January 18, 1983: Commemorative medals presented to Thorpe's family.

What happened

Thirty years after his death, the International Olympic Committee presented commemorative medals to the family of American athlete Jim Thorpe, who had been stripped of his gold medals for playing semi-professional baseball before the 1912 Summer Olympics.

January 18 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1983International Olympic Committee
  2. 20032003 Canberra bushfires
  3. 2005Airbus A380
  4. 20071999
  5. 2008Euphronios Krater
  6. 2012Protests against SOPA and PIPA
  7. 2018Samara
  8. 2019Tlahuelilpan pipeline explosion
  9. 20232023 Brovary helicopter crash
  10. 2025TikTok
  11. 20262026 Adamuz rail disaster

Also in 1983

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  • November 27Avianca Flight 011Avianca Flight 011: A Boeing 747 crashes near Madrid's Barajas Airport, killing 181.
  • November 5Byford DolphinThe Byford Dolphin diving bell accident kills five and leaves one severely injured.
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Everything we record for 1983 →

Sources

Cite this page

“International Olympic Committee”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/international-olympic-committee-1983-january-18, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did International Olympic Committee happen?

January 18 1983 — 43 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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