Evangelis or
Evangelos Zappas (; , 1800–19 June 1865) was a
Greek patriot, philanthropist and businessman who spent most of his life in
Romania. He is recognized today as a founder of the
modern Olympic Games, who sponsored the Olympic Games of 1859, 1870, 1875, and 1888 and preceded the Olympic Games that came under the auspices of the
International Olympic Committee. These Games, known at the time simply as Olympics, came before the founding of the International Olympic Committee. The legacy of Evangelis Zappas, as well as the legacy of his cousin
Konstantinos Zappas, was also used to fund the Olympic Games of 1896.