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Shot put history can be found to stretch back thousands of years to the days before the British Isles became Christianized and the land was still governed by chieftains. In modern terms the sport was formalized and became an Olympic fixture in 1896.

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Today the sport is done using a heavy metal ball and a special technique is perfected in order to be able to throw the ball as far as possible. In order to be truly successful at this event, the athlete needs to combine technique, form and strength.

Back thousands of years the event was done with stone balls in Scotland. Chieftains would use the event to determine which was the most powerful. They would select one of their warriors to throw the stone ball as far as possible and the winner would be considered to come from the most militarily powerful clan. The event has also become a part of the Highland Games.

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The sport underwent changes throughout the Middle Ages through to the 18th century, when it was a popular sport among soldiers who would throw cannon balls. It is from this era of the sport that it gains its name with the "shot" referring to the cannon ball and the "put" part a style of throwing that was used.

Up until the modern Olympics was begun the sport was popular, but it was not formalized. As part of the track and field at the Olympics the sport was finally formalized. It would not become a women's event at the games however until 1948.

The sport today has not changed too much throughout the shot put history. The balls are today made of lead and it tends to be the technique used that varies more. One of the best known shot put athletes was Randy Barnes who introduced the rotational form of throwing in 1976.

When you stop to think about it, humankind has always enjoyed some type of leisure and recreation, so the history of leisure and recreation goes back a very long way. The Romans had the Coliseum, where they watched chariot races and other entertainment. The Greeks had amphitheaters where they viewed drama and comedy, and of course they invented the Olympics, one of the greatest entertainment sport spectacles on earth. The list goes on. Even the Bible discusses singing, dancing, music, and other forms of acceptable recreation, so even the most ancient civilizations enjoyed entertainment and recreation of some sort.

The Middle Ages

Life for most people in the Middle Ages was dark and difficult. More emphasis was put on work, and there was little time for leisure. However, jousting tournaments, hunting tournaments, and the earliest forms of chess, checkers, and other games developed during this time. The people worked hard, the Church forbade many forms of entertainment, but there were still leisure pastimes to help develop the growing history of leisure and recreation.

The Industrial Revolution

This history of leisure and recreation goes far back in time, but leisure and recreation really took off when the Industrial Revolution hit Great Britain in the 1700s. The Industrial Revolution revolutionized work in the modern world, and helped create the modern factory environment. Machines mechanized the manufacture of fabric and fibers, and this ultimately led to more leisure time for the workers. They worked long hours in the factories, but they also had time off, and most employers gave at least some holidays off. Thus, people who had labored from dawn to dusk on farms in rural England, moved to the big city, got jobs in factories, and had leisure time away from their jobs. The Industrial Revolution helped create the notion of leisure time, and it helped create a different view of work and leisure.

The 20th Century

If the Industrial Revolution helped create the history of leisure and recreation, the 20th century helped cement it. Workers demanded shorter working hours, paid vacations and holidays, and weekends off, leading to even more leisure time for the world's workforce. Today, work and leisure are still strictly separated, but leisure time and recreation are some of the most important aspect of modern life, showing how the history of leisure and recreation has altered throughout time, and become increasingly popular as people gain more freedom from work and toil.

Tribal Warfare

It's interesting to note that the wide separation between work and research-portal leisure in our modern society is something that wasn't necessary in early, tribal cultures. Early man (and woman), worked when it was necessary to find food or to create items they needed to live, but they did not work continually, they interspersed work with pleasure or leisure, something our society not longer enjoys. For example, in Native American societies, boys "played" at war and warfare, but this play taught them how to use a bow and arrow, useful for hunting as well as defending the tribe. Work became play, while today, the two terms are decidedly distinct.