The rings were designed in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin, a French guy who basically invented the modern Olympics. He wasn’t staring at a rainbow; he was staring at a world map.
He said the five rings represent the five inhabited continents. “But wait,” you cry, “there are seven continents!” Yes. But in 1913, they considered North and South America as one giant “America,” and they just forgot about Antarctica. Because, let’s be honest, no one was winning gold in penguin wrestling.
The “Every Flag” Illusion
Here’s the mind-blower: the colors don’t represent specific continents. No ring means “Asia,” and no ring means “Africa.” Instead, de Coubertin chose six colors that appear on every single national flag in the world at the time. The five rings are: blue, yellow, black, green, and red. Plus the white background.
So, the message is: “Look, France is here! And Japan! And that tiny island nation that only has a blue flag and a sad donkey!” It’s the most inclusive color palette ever invented. It’s basically the “We Like These Pantone Swatches” club.
