The idea for reviving the Olympic Games as an international competition came to French educator and historian 'Le baron de Coubertin' Charles Pierre Fredy de Coubertin in 1889, and he spent the next five years bringing together both athletes and sports enthusiasts to make this happen. These individuals became the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and, in the summer of 1896, the IOC opened the Games of the I Olympiad. At this point there was not a unifying symbol, but a wreath was a recurring motif in posters and advertising. Coubertin had also designed an open crown motif made up of olive branches, similar to the awards of the ancient Games. This was used on the official letterheads of the IOC.