Eunice Kennedy Shriver's Special Olympics
Bettmann / Corbis
Opening Ceremonies
At the first Special Olympics, held at Soldier's Field in Chicago in 1968, 1,000 athletes participated. By 1970, when this photo was taken, the number of competitors had increased to 2,500. Today, the Special Olympics serves 3 million people.
Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.