2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony
The 2012 Olympic Games began with a bang.
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On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! - The London 2012 Summer Olympic Games kicked off to an explosive start Friday night at Olympic Stadium. A crowd of 80,000 attended the ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, which will also be the site some of the most iconic events in the Summer Games.(Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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Epic Spectacle - Friday’s opening ceremony took place at the Olympic Stadium, part of London's Olympic Park and Village. A total of 46,000 people were involved in the building of the complex.(Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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The Price of Performance - The ceremony was staged by Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle and cost a total of $42 million to produce and utilized the assistance of 15,000 volunteers. (Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
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Flying Colors - Britain's Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (known as The Red Arrows) dazzled the crowd as they flew over Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony, streaming brilliant colors through the sky. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
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Living Legend - Legendary boxer and Olympic gold medalist Muhammad Ali attended the U.S. Olympic Committee Benefit Gala one day before the opening ceremony.(Photo: Joe Scarnici/Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
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Schooled on the Game - Performers at the ceremony staged a game of rugby to show the origins of the U.K.-created sport.(Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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Bolting Toward a Win - Three-time Olympic gold medalist, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, held court at a press conference ahead of the opening ceremony. After dominating in the 2008 Beijing Games, Bolt is one of the most watched sprinters ahead of the 2012 Olympics. (Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
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Picture Perfect - The glittering spectacle was produced by filmmaker and artistic director Danny Boyle and lasted for more than three hours. (Photo: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
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All Hail the Queen - Queen Elizabeth II declared the games open Friday. During the ceremony, a Queen Elizabeth lookalike parachuted into the stadium. (Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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All Hail (the Other) Queen - U.S. boxer Queen Underwood is set to knock out the competition at this year's Summer Games. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
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The World Is Watching - A total of 205 nations have sent more than 10,000 athletes to compete in the Summer Olympics. (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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A New Day - The first Olympics held in London took place in 1908. Back then, only around 2,000 athletes competed for just 110 gold medals. (Photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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Three-peat Cullen - U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Cullen Jones hopes to bring home three medals at this year's games. (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Citi)
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Move It! - U.S. Olympic athletes support the Let's Move campaign during a "Let's Move London" event before the games officially started.(Photo: Simon Burchell/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)
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Living Diorama - London's opening ceremony wasn't all just fun and games. Organizers took the opportunity to stage elaborate sets dating back to pivotal points in U.K. history. (Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
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