Seoul 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad

•The Seoul emblem features a samtaeguk pattern. A samtaeguk is a traditional Korean pattern and visual image which represents Korea. This pattern is widely used as decoration on fans, gates of Korean-style homes, artifacts, and folk crafts. The Olympic emblem features patterns in two forms, centripetal and centrifugal; the centripetal motion represented the people of the world coming together in Korea, thus symbolizing worldwide harmony, while the centrifugal motion represented a march onward in search of man’s lasting happiness and prosperity.

Los Angeles 1984 Games of the XXIII Olympiad

•The star is a universal symbol of the highest aspirations of mankind, the horizontal bars portray the speed with which the contestants pursue the excellence, while the repetition of the star shape connotes the spirit of competition between equally outstanding physical forms. The symbol colors - blue, white and red - were in part chosen for their traditional significance in the awarding of prizes for first, second and third place.

Moscow 1980 Games of the XXII Olympiad

•The official emblem was created by Vladimir Arsentyev. Above the Olympic rings we find parallel lines in the shape of a pyramid, and a five pointed star which serves as a reminder of the flag of the Kremlin.

Montreal 1976 Games of the XXI Olympiad

It is supposed to be a stylized maple leaf? Are the rings plummeting down the page? Is that supposed to be the letter M somehow? If it's not representational, it's a failure, as it certainly doesn't look pretty on its own. Sigh... it took me twenty years to figure out the Expos' logo, too.

Munich 1972 Games of the XX Olympiad

•It represents a crown of rays of light, a design symbolizing the spirit of the Munich Games- light, freshness, generosity, expressed by the design “Radiant Munich”. It was created by Otl Aicher, the designed and director of the visual conception commission. His project was chosen in spite of a competition whose 2 332 entries were unsatisfactory.