Spectacular! Dazzling! Sensational! What a magnificent opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics! Thanks to YouTube, aside from the 2012 Olympics, I was able to see again the opening ceremonies of past Summer Olympics. The opening ceremonies have evolved into an art form over the years. Thus, the Olympic opening ceremony has become much of an artistic expression, as well as an extravaganza anticipated by millions of people all over the world.
Did you know that it was on this 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, that for the first time the Olympic Cauldron was lighted by seven (7) people? The cauldron is traditionally lighted by just one torch-bearer. Did you also know that the first Olympic Cauldron was lighted in 1928 at the Amsterdam Olympics? Would you like to know more trivia about the Olympics?
Here is my list of the 10 Most Interesting Trivia about the Olympics:
1. The Olympics gold medal isn't really gold. It is made of sterling silver (92.5% pure silver) and coated with at least 6 grams of gold. The last real gold medal was given in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Nike is the Goddess of Victory in Greek Mythology and is depicted in the obverse of the Olympic medals.
2. The Olympics was canceled three (3) times in history. The first one was in 1916 supposed to be held in Berlin. It was canceled because of World War I. The second canceled Olympics was in 1940 supposedly held in Tokyo, and the third one in 1944 in London. These two were canceled because of World War II.
3. London held the Olympics for three times already. This year, 2012, is the third time. The first time was held in 1908, and the second was in 1948.
4. It was in 1968 in Mexico City that the first woman lighted the Olympic Cauldron. As in tradition, the last torchbearer is the one to light the Cauldron. Enriqueta Basilio, Mexico's 80-meter hurdles national champ, lighted the 1968 Olympic Cauldron.
5. It was in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that the Cauldron wasn't ignited by a hand-held torch. It was ignited by the arrow of an archer.
6. The five rings in the Olympic Flag represent the five (inhabited) continents participating in the Olympic Games. The Olympic Flag has the five interlaced rings (in blue, yellow, black, green, and red) over white. At least one of the six colors of the Olympic flag appear on all national flags of the world. (On a metaphysical note, the colors represent the five mythical elements - blue and black for WATER, yellow for EARTH, green for WOOD, red for FIRE, and white for METAL.)
7. The opening ceremony now is held at nighttime. The last time it was held in daylight was in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
8. One Olympic Cauldron has been used twice. Los Angeles held the Olympics twice in 1932 and in 1984. It was in 1984 that the same Olympic Cauldron was used twice. The Cauldron used in 1934 was reused in 1984.
9. The first Olympic Bell was heard in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It was invented by Hitler's Nazi Germany. The inscription written across the bell was "I summon the youth of the world".
10. Citius, Altius, Fortius. It's a Latin expression which means "Faster, Higher, Stronger". This is the Olympic Motto whereas the Olympic creed is:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
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