During the 2012 European Soccer Championship (popularly called the "Euro"), nearly one and a half million people attended the matches. It was the third most-watched sporting event in the world, with the best teams on the continent competing for the title. Yet, only half a century ago the idea of a European championship wasn't widely supported. When it finally received the green light from the world soccer authorities, the best European teams weren't interested in participating in the new event. But as the popularity of soccer grew across the world, and the reputation of the tournament...

The first European Championship in ice hockey took place more than 100 years ago. Since that first competition in 1910, a total of 66 championships have been contested, although many were part of the World Championships or the Olympics; the last independent European Championship occurred back in 1932. The history of the women's European Championship is much shorter. The first women's European Championship took place in 1989, but after only 5 championships the tournament was discontinued. The last competition took place in 1996. In European Ice Hockey Championship Results: Since 1910, Tomasz...

Though basketball dates back more than 120 years, it did not make its Olympic debut until 1936. The presence of basketball at the Berlin games that year was due in large part to the creation of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in 1932 and the organization of the European Championship in 1935. In the European Championship's inaugural competition, ten teams participated; since then, as basketball has increased in popularity across the continent, the championship has expanded considerably. In the most recent European Championship--popularly called Eurobasket--36 teams competed. In...

The first European Championship in men's volleyball was contested in 1948 by just six teams, and the inaugural women's tournament took place in 1949. As the sport spread in popularity throughout the continent, so did the number of teams participating. Today, the European Championship is played under the auspices of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), of which 55 nations are members; 16 of these 55 teams are able to play for the gold in the championships. In European Volleyball Championship Results: Since 1948, Tomasz Malolepszy charts the growth and expansion of this sport in Europe...