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Jackie Gibson of South Africa refreshes himself during the marathon event in Sydney, Australia, in 1938. He came third, taking the bronze medal.
A police constable's helmet provides a spectator with a useful drum as she cheers on action on the track at Wembley Park. The 1934 British Empire Games were hosted in London and Manchester.
English weightlifter George Newton competing in the lightweight class in Christchurch, New Zealand. Newton, by then aged 38, won the gold medal in the event.
Later in same afternoon, British runner Jim Peters (349) staggers during the marathon, and Mickie Mayes (right), the English team's masseur, runs out on the track to grab him, while Peters still has 200 yards to run, in which he might have won the race. The mix-up was considered one of the greatest errors in sports history: Mayes said officials had told him that Peters had finished the marathon.
England's Roger Bannister (329) breaks the tape in the "miracle mile" final in Vancouver, Canada. Close behind is Australia's John Landy (300), holder of the record for the mile. Bannister's time was 3:58.8—the second fastest mile in history. This was the first time these two (and at that time the only two) sub-four-minute mile runners appeared in the same race, and also the first time two runners broke four minutes in the same race.
Tanzanian athlete Filbert Bayi leads in the 1,500 meters at Christchurch, New Zealand, in one of the greatest races in sporting history.
Six-year-old Kirsty Howard receives the Jubilee Baton from British soccer player David Beckham during the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. Kirsty, who was seriously ill after being born with her heart back to front, is the mascot for the Francis House children's hospice that David and Victoria Beckham sponsor. Sadly, Kirsty would pass away on October 24, 2015, aged 20.
Cathy Freeman celebrates her 200m victory and her heritage in Victoria, Canada, by waving the Australian and Aboriginal flags. The first female Australian Aboriginal ever to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, Freeman also went on to win gold in the 400m—and again hoisted both flags during her victory lap.
Australia's Ian Thorpe shatters world records and personal bests in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and collects four gold medals into the bargain. And he's only 15 years old!
In 2014, among new disciplines on the Commonwealth Games program is women's boxing. British boxer Nicola Adams takes the gold medal in the women's flyweight division on a split decision.
Britain's David Bryant, considered to be the greatest bowler of all time, wins a fourth consecutive lawn bowls singles title in Edmonton, Canada.
Mark Lewis-Francis of England lies on the track injured after pulling up in the men's 100m final at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England.
England's Paula Radcliffe celebrates her gold medal after the women's 5000m final at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Jamaican celebrity sprinter Usain Bolt brings the Commonwealth Games athletics to a fitting finale in Glasgow, Scotland, as he anchors his country to 4x100m relay gold. This despite the fact that he had earlier described the tournament as "s**t" during an interview with the Times newspaper.
England secured 58 gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the first time they topped the table in 28 years. Long jumper and double gold medalist Greg Rutherford was among the winners.
Australia's Robert de Castella wins the men's marathon event in Brisbane, Australia, despite suffering a bout of diarrhea midway through the course. Four years later in Edinburgh Castella defends his Commonwealth Games title in Edinburgh (pictured), winning in 2:10:15.
Kerryn McCann of Australia celebrates winning the final of the women's marathon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. She had just successfully defended her 2002 Commonwealth title. Tragically, McCann would succumb to cancer in 2008.
Scotland's Allan Wells and England's Mike McFarlane both win gold in Brisbane, Australia, in the men's 200m final after a dead heat at the finishing line.
Trinidad and Tobago's Ato Boldon (center) celebrates crossing the line in first place, beating Barbados' Obedele Thompson (left) and England's Darren Campbell (right) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Australia's Tia-Clair Toomey clinches a dramatic victory in the women's 58kg weightlifting category on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Sources: (Commonwealth Games Federation) (The Guardian) (World Athletics) (BBC)
The 1934 Games in London's White City saw the introduction of women's events in athletics. Pictured in training are South African female competitors, the high jumper Marjorie Clark and hurdler Barbara Burke, with athlete and fellow national Johann Lückhoff.
Australia's Herb Elliott crosses the finish line to win gold in the mile at Cardiff in Wales. He also claimed gold in the 880 yards.
Four years later in Perth, Australia, New Zealand's Peter Snell succeeds Elliot as 880-yards and one-mile champion.
It's in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966 that Kenyan Kip Keino, seen here leading the pack, takes the mile and three golds to consolidate Kenya's reputation for producing some of the best distance-runners in the world.
English marathon runner Ron Hill, a research chemist, in patriotic form as he legs it towards a world-class 2:09:28 victory at Edinburgh in Scotland. He would later become a clothing entrepreneur specializing in sports apparel.
And it's in Edmonton that the event finally settles on its current name—Commonwealth Games. Daley Thompson of England is seen during the High Jump in the decathlon event. He would eventually claim three Commonwealth decathlon titles.
Meanwhile, Tessa Sanderson of England wins javelin gold, a Commonwealth win she would retain in 1986 and 1990.
Wales' Kirsty Wade does a lap of honor with the Welsh flag after winning gold in the women's 1500m in Edinburgh, Scotland.
For the first time the event is staged in India. The lavish opening ceremony takes place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.
Founded by Canadian journalist and sports executive Melville Marks Robinson, the inaugural British Empire Games took place from August 16-30 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. One of the athletes taking part was Percy "Peerless" Williams (pictured), who won the 100-yard dash.
For the third time in its, history England is holding the Commonwealth Games, hosted between July 28 and August 8 in the city of Birmingham. The Games were inaugurated in Canada in 1930 as the British Empire Games. In 1954, the tournament became known as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. A third name change took place in 1970, the British Commonwealth Games, and then in 1974 they finally became the Commonwealth Games. For 12 days, athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations will be competing for glory on one of the most prestigious sporting stages in the world, just as they have been doing for nearly 100 years.
Ready for some nostalgia? Click through for some memorable moments from the Commonwealth Games.
Memorable moments from the Commonwealth Games
The "Friendly Games" are on in Birmingham
LIFESTYLE Sports
For the third time in its, history England is holding the Commonwealth Games, hosted between July 28 and August 8 in the city of Birmingham. The Games were inaugurated in Canada in 1930 as the British Empire Games. In 1954, the tournament became known as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. A third name change took place in 1970, the British Commonwealth Games, and then in 1974 they finally became the Commonwealth Games. For 12 days, athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations will be competing for glory on one of the most prestigious sporting stages in the world, just as they have been doing for nearly 100 years.
Ready for some nostalgia? Click through for some memorable moments from the Commonwealth Games.