On July 20, 1968, athletes competed in the first Special Olympics International Games, held in Chicago, Illinois. The Special Olympics are a sporting event for people with intellectual disabilities. A person with an intellectual disability has difficulty with skills such as language, problem-solving, or memory. The Special Olympics are held every two years. The founder of the Special Olympics was Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Eunice was inspired by her sister, Rosemary. Rosemary had an intellectual disability, but enjoyed sports. Eunice wanted to create a fun program for people like Rosemary. About 160 athletes from the United States and Canada competed in the first Special Olympics. Today, more than four million athletes from 170 countries compete!