The 2012 Summer Olympics kicked off July 27 with an Opening Ceremony in Olympic Stadium in London, England.
The Opening Ceremony was highlighted by a theatre show directed by Danny Boyle, who won an Oscar for directing “Slumdog Millionaire.” Boyle’s show, titled Isles of Wonder, illustrated the Jarrow Crusade of 1936, a protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty suffered in North East England. Boyle also paid honor to the country’s healthcare system by dressing up real National Health Service employees as nurses capering on hospital beds during the show.
Before the show began, Queen Elizabeth II made a grand entrance; in a video clip she was escorted into the stadium by actor Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond. Another famous British actor, Rowan Atkinson, known as Mr. Bean, made an appearance with the London Symphony Orchestra, pretending to play the piano during a rendition of the theme of “Chariots of Fire.”
English rock star Sir Paul McCartney later performed two songs to close out the show.
Athletes from all 205 nations competing in the Olympics also paraded around the track of the stadium before the official lighting of the Olympic torch. The flame was brought to Olympic stadium by English soccer star David Beckham on a boat down the River Thames, and was carried into the stadium by five-time Olympic gold medalist Steve Redgrave, who then handed it to seven young British athletes: Callum Airlie, Jordan Duckitt, Desiree Henry, Katie Kirk, Cameron MacRitchie, Aidan Reynolds and Adelle Tracey.
The seven teen Olympians then lit copper “petals” on the ground, which spread into a circle of fire, converging to form a large cauldron in the sky.