Tribute to the People's Olympics in Barcelona that never took place Your browser does not support the video elementOn July 19, 1936, Barcelona was to have hosted the People’s Olympics, but just two days before the Games were to start, a military uprising against the Spanish Republican government began. It marked the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and eventually led to Francisco Franco’s 40-year-long dictatorship. / Helle KettnershareHelle KettnerFirst published: July 20, 2017 11:34 AM