Up-to-Date Athlete & Game Information, Olympic Timeline, Quizzes & Puzzles

                        Available on Reference Site



    BOSTON, Aug. 5 /EMWNews/ -- The 24-hour time difference won't stand

in the way of keeping track of favorite athletes and events at the Summer

Olympic Games when you turn to Infoplease.com. The trusted reference Web

site offers regularly updated information on the Beijing Summer Games 2008

results and standings, as well as insightful information about the

controversies surrounding the host country and the deep history of the

Olympic Games.



    "For a few weeks every four years, nations around the world put aside

their differences and focus on the excitement and drama of Olympic

competition," said Jess M. Brallier, publisher, Infoplease. "On Infoplease,

we offer Olympic enthusiasts a unique combination of up-to-date results on

the current games and resources to put the competition into a historical

context and build a deeper understanding of the significance of this global

celebration of athletic ability and world unity."



    Infoplease includes information on past Olympic Games and answers

questions such as "Which athletes or countries typically win the most

Olympic game medals?" or "How has the U.S. team fared overall in the Summer

Olympic Games?" With the resources on Infoplease, it is easy to search the

biographies of famous Olympic athletes past and present and learn more

about the various events that are a part of the Summer Games. For example,

this summer when gymnast Paul Hamm and his twin brother Morgan compete,

Olympic fans can revisit the controversy that surrounded Paul's gold medal

award at the summer 2004 Olympic Games and discuss how that might impact

his performance four years later. Or they can learn more about the history

of gymnastics and the games, going back to Ancient Olympic Games.



    This year's Summer Games have not been without controversy, and

Infoplease has a wealth of information on the human rights, environmental

and security concerns facing Beijing Olympic planners. When the games kick

off in August, temperatures in Beijing will likely top out at 100 degrees

in a city that grapples with pollution problems from industrial smog, cars

and coal-burning power plants. Infoplease explains what government

officials are doing to combat these issues. The article "Controversy

Surrounds Preparation for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" also explores the

human rights issues over the number of Chinese citizens who were allegedly

displaced to make way for construction needed for the Summer Games.



    After the sure-to-be dramatic opening of the Beijing 2008 Summer Game

ceremonies and torch lighting, armchair athletes can use Infoplease to

explore the history of the Olympic torch, what it symbolizes and how and

why it makes its long journey around the world before each competition. An

easy-to-use timeline of the Olympic Games on Infoplease traces the history

back to Ancient Greece, culminating with the Summer Olympic Games 2008.

Links to more information in the timeline allow users to learn more about

Summer Olympic traditions and delve more deeply into memorable moments in

the history of the Summer Olympic Games, such as the first modern Olympic

Games in Athens in 1896, the tragic terrorist attacks of the 1972 Munich

Summer Games or the undefeated run of the first U.S. "Dream Team" at the

1992 Summer Games in Barcelona.



    Watching countless hours of competition on television and exploring the

resources on Infoplease, Olympic fans can then test their knowledge with

quizzes and crossword puzzles and Beijing 2008 Summer Game Trivia on

Infoplease.com. These fun activities test how much you know about the

Summer Games sports and history, past Olympic host cities and the Olympic

athletes who have become legends.

    About Information Please



    Information Please (http://www.Infoplease.com) is an authoritative,

current and comprehensive reference Web site that covers world news,

includes thousands of in-depth articles, interactive tools and offers an

atlas, almanac, encyclopedia, dictionary and thesaurus. With content

written and maintained by professional editors, Infoplease.com is committed

to providing users with the most authoritative, accurate and timely

reference content.



    Information Please is part of Pearson, the world's largest integrated

education company. Pearson's other primary operations include the Financial

Times Group and the Penguin Group.