London Kicks Off 2012 Olympic Games With Spectacular Gala
The Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, July 28, 2012.
Britain opened the 2012 Olympic Games Friday with fighter jet flyovers, fireworks, and pageantry highlighting its history from 1896 – the start of the modern Games – until now.
Some 60,000 spectators saw a stand-in for 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth parachute into Olympic Stadium with the film actor Daniel Crag, who portrays Britain’s iconic fictional spy James Bond. Moments later, the queen herself stood silently while a children’s choir serenaded her with “God Save the Queen.”
The traditional parade of nations saw most of the 10,000-plus athletes marching behind the flags of the 204 participating nations.
The 17-day competition in 26 sports opens Saturday and runs through August 12.
Millions of Britons and visitors packed pubs and gathered with friends and relatives for the opening of the greatest sporting exhibition of modern times.
The $40 million extravaganza was expected to take in a global audience of one billion viewers.
The Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony
1/14People photograph the countdown clock at Trafalgar Square in downtown London prior to the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
2/14Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, right, and Prime Minister David Cameron arrive for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, July 27, 2012.
3/14Actors perform during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, July 27, 2012.
4/14Performers make a circle during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
5/14The Olympic rings are illuminated during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
6/14The iconic Tower Bridge over the River Thames in central London, decorated with Olympic rings, during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
7/14An Olympic athlete is greeted by school children lining the path to Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
8/14Performers depict a view of the Industrial Revolution during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, July 27, 2012.
9/14Actors dressed as Mary Poppins perform during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
10/14Actors perform in a sequence meant to represent Britain's National Health Service (NHS) perform during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
11/14Fireworks light up Tower Bridge during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
12/14Performers dance during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
13/14A person dressed as Queen Elizabeth II parachutes into the Olympic stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, July 27, 2012.
14/14France's Olympic team arrives during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, 2012, in London.
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