Pierre de Frdy was born in Paris on 1 January 1863 into an established aristocratic family.

He was the fourth child of Baron Charles ouis Frdy! Baron de Coubertin and "arie#"arcelle $i%ault de Crisenoy. Family tradition held that the Frdy name had first arri&ed in France in the early 1'th century! and the first recorded title of nobility %ranted to the family was %i&en by ouis () to an ancestor! also named Pierre de Frdy! in 1*++. But other branches of his family tree del&ed e&en further into French history! and the annals of both sides of his family included nobles of &arious stations! military leaders! and associates of ,in%s and -rinces of France. Pierre de Coubertin! the son of an artist! was a talented s-ortsman! he too, -art in bo.in%! fencin%! horseridin% and rowin%.

Pierre de Coubertin as a child (right), with one of his sisters, painted by his father Charles Louis de Fredy de Coubertin (detail of Le Dpart, 18 !)"

His father Charles was a staunch royalist and accom-lished artist whose -aintin%s were dis-layed and %i&en -ri/es at the Parisian salon! at least in those years when he was not absent in -rotest of the rise to -ower of ouis 0a-oleon. His -aintin%s often centred around themes related to the 1oman Catholic Church! classicism! and nobility! which reflected those thin%s he thou%ht most im-ortant. )n a later semi2fictional autobio%ra-hical -iece called Le Roman d'un ralli! Coubertin describes his relationshi- with both his mother and his father as ha&in% been somewhat strained durin% his childhood and adolescence. His memoirs elaborated further! describin% as a -i&otal moment his disa--ointment u-on meetin% Henri! Count of Chambord! whom the elder Coubertin belie&ed to be the ri%htful ,in%. Coubertin %rew u- in a time of -rofound chan%e in France3 France4s defeat in the Franco2 Prussian 5ar! the Paris Commune! and the establishment of the French 6hird 1e-ublic! and later the 7reyfus 8ffair. But while these e&ents were the settin% of his childhood! his school e.-eriences were 9ust as formati&e. )n :ctober 18+*! his -arents enrolled him in a new Jesuit school called Externat de la rue de Vienne! which was still under construction for his first fi&e years there. 5hile many of the school4s attendees were day students! Coubertin boarded at the school under the su-er&ision of a Jesuit -riest! which his -arents ho-ed would instill him with a stron% moral and reli%ious education. 6here! he was amon% the to- three students in his class! and was an officer of the school4s elite academy made u- of its best and bri%htest. 6his su%%ests that des-ite his rebelliousness at home! Coubertin ada-ted well to the strict ri%ors of a Jesuit education. 8s an aristocrat! Coubertin had a number of career -aths from which to choose! includin% -otentially -rominent roles in the military or -olitics. But he chose instead to -ursue a career as an intellectual! studyin% and later writin% on a broad ran%e of to-ics! includin% education! history! literature! and sociolo%y. Coubertin was an educationalist who attem-ted to reform the French education system. He was interested in s-orts education as he belie&ed it had the -otential to de&elo- what he called ;moral ener%y; and e&entually became <ecretary $eneral of the =nion of French <ocieties of 8thletic <-orts >=<F<8?.

Coubertin announced that he intended to re&i&e the :lym-ic $ames and on @3rd June! 18A*! established the )nternational :lym-ic Committee >):C? at a meetin% held at the =ni&ersity of <orbonne in Paris. 6he first :lym-ic $ames of the modern era were held in 8thens in 18A6. Coubertin became -resident of the )nternational :lym-ic Committee! a -ost he held for @A years. 7urin% the First 5orld 5ar Coubertin mo&ed the headBuarters of the ):C to ausanne! <wit/erland. Pierre de Coubertin! who -ublished his autobio%ra-hy! Olympic Memoirs! in 1A31! died of a heart attac, in $ene&a on @nd <e-tember! 1A3+. 6he founder of the modern :lym-ics was an unli,ely s-orts hero! a French aristocrat who thou%ht -hysical education could ha&e sa&ed his country from military humiliation in the late 18CCs. 8nd the lonely cam-ai%n wa%ed by Pierre Fredy! Baron de Coubertin! slowly %ained su--ort amon% ad&ocates of athletics in Duro-e and 8merica! and Coubertin was able to or%ani/e the first modern :lym-ics in 8thens in 18A6.