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27 Jul 2012

Lighting the torch: A history of Olympic opening ceremonies

A look at the major opening ceremonies from the Olympic Games of the last 116 years. (Pictures from Getty)

Azi is one of the artists exhibiting in a show held by Freedom from Torture. All the artists are torture survivors.

Rape is also by Azi, who was tortured in Iran for her role in the Tehran women’s movement.

Hasan has been in the UK for three years, receiving therapy from Freedom from Torture since 2009.

‘Art isn’t magic, but sometimes it can be quite useful,’ says Hasan, who also painted this picture.

Siad arrived in the UK as a lone minor from Afghanistan in 2002. He says his pictures are a way of making sense of his traumatic journey.

Women Alone, another painting in the Thirty Six Pounds exhibition, is also by Siad, who is yet to be granted refugee status in the UK.

Uvindu, an award-winning journalist and freedom of expression activist in exile from Sri Lanka, finds art a form of therapy in the wake of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war.

Uvindu has painted all his life. He says Freedom from Torture’s Open Art Studio is a ‘soft place to fall’ for torture survivors.

The storm, which could affect tens of millions of people in the eastern third of the US, is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow in parts of Ohio and West Virginia.

A couple kiss goodbye before the last train to Long Island departs Penn Station in New York, 28 October, 2012. (Reuters)

Marine One carrying US President Barack Obama takes off from the south lawn of the White House in Washington as the president departs for a campaign trip to Florida.

New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 206th Military Police Company prepare to move out. (Reuters)

Only a few bread items remain on the shelves at the Waldbaums grocery store as Hurricane Sandy approaches in Long Beach, New York. (Getty)

A boarded-up store remains open for business as the first signs of Hurricane Sandy approach in Fairfield, Connecticut. (Getty)

A sign on dispay in Grand Central Station in New York. The MTA has been began an orderly shutdown of commuter rail and subway services in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.

New York City police officers go door to door in a housing project to take note of which residents are ignoring the mandatory evacuation order in Queens. (Reuters)

Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean, is predicted to bring heavy winds and floodwaters to the mid-Atlantic region. (Getty)

Obama called on Americans to take Hurricane Sandy

A man carries a case of water down Lexington Avenue in midtown in New York as stores begin to close down in preparation for Hurricane Sandy. (Getty)

A surfer rushes to board one of the final subway trains in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York City will close its bus, subway and commuter rail service Sunday evening. (Reuters)

Ross Vernal inherited a new shed overnight in his Scotstoun, Glasgow back garden.

Filibrilu in Glasgow woke up to a smashed car and chimney stack, but saw the lighter side.

Neil Moralee from Hemyock, Devon, wrote:

Greenleith took this picture in Pilrig, Edinburgh. Insurers have reported a 250 per cent increase in the number of claims made as the wind causes damage to homes and cars.

Sarey Poppins spotted this broken weathervane. Gusts will reach 60mph, occasionally as high as 70mph around exposed coasts tonight.

People stand next to a truck blown over in high winds on the A720 city bypass in Edinburgh. AA Insurance has reported 200 per cent more calls than would normally be expected at this time of year.

Waves crash against the harbour wall at Portstewart in northern Ireland. Some 60 locals braved the waters for a charity swim last week, but choppy waters mean it is too dangerous to do so today.

Everton’s goalkeeper Tim Howard scores a spectacular goal – aided by the windy conditions – against Bolton Wanderers during their fixture in Liverpool.

Roads become perilous in Scotland as strong gusts fell giant trees.

Mobil parasol canopies: Just off the A6 at Red Hill, Leicestershire, the circular Mobil canopies at this petrol station conjure up an era when motorways were full of futuristic glamour. They were designed by the American modernist architect, Elliot Noyes in the late 1960s.

Concrete canopy: Located on the A1 at Markham Moor in Nottinghamshire, this petrol station recreates the dramatic roof structure used most famously at the Sydney Opera House. It was designed by the British architect Sam Scorer in 1960/61.

This police box on Surrey Street, is one of 120 built throughout Sheffield in 1928 which were designed to allow police constables to work away from the police station during their beat.

World War II PoW camp: Harperley Working Camp at Craigside, County Durham is a very rare surviving example of a purpose-built camp for prisoners of war (PoWs). The camp was used for both Italian and German PoWs and contains original wall paintings and internal fittings.

It may be a humble traffic sign, but this post in Overstrand, Norfolk, is one of the only surviving traffic signs, known as

Margate’s dreamland: Built in 1920, the scenic railway at Dreamland, Margate is the oldest surviving roller coaster in Britain and the second oldest in Europe, following its restoration after fires in 1949 and 1957. (Copywright: Margate Museum)

Trio of totems: Built by William Mitchell for the University of Salford in 1966, these totems are preserved as an example of the commissioning of public artwork in the post-war period.

This lamp on Park Road, Whitley Bay, is one of ten surviving sewer gas lamps erected in the Whitley Bay and Monkseaton areas between 1900 and 1910.

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can i see & and

Aerialist Nik Wallenda made a historic tightrope crossing over Niagara Falls on a 2-inch wide cable. (Reuters)

Wallenda took 25 minutes to cross the 550m gap from the US side to Canada over the dangerous waters. (Reuters)

The event was televised ‘live’ by ABC but with a 5 second delay. As he crossed the falls he said the view was ‘unbelievable’. (Reuters).

Arriving on the Canadian side he was playfully asked for his passport and the purpose of his visit. He answered ‘to inspire people’. (Reuters)

ABC insisted he wear a safety harness and threatened to cut the cameras if Wallenda removed it. (Reuters).

Wallenda campaigned for two years to be allowed to walk across the falls. He now plans to walk over the Grand Canyon. (Reuters)

Two satellite images, courtesy of NEODAAS / University of Dundee, showing the spread of snow from 6 Dec (left) to 7 Dec (right).

Some snowy pictures of my hometown Mosstodloch/Fochabers in Moray, Scotland.

Commuters wait in the snow for a tube train at Parsons Green station in London

Sheep are seen covered in snow in a field near Middleham

From New Milton Hampshire, at 8.00 in the morning about 5 inches of snow. Hinchcliffe Family

An engineer clears the nose of a snow covered plane at Edinburgh airport, Scotland

Empty platforms are seen at Gatwick airport rail station in south England

A snowy cow in Eastbourne

Beautiful East Kent, near Chilham

Swan trying to swim through ice on the lake at Chartham, near Canterbury

Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

Snow in East Sussex

Icicles from the air shaft in the abandoned railway tunnel, Kelmarsh

Saltburn, North East England

Saltburn, North East England

Saltburn, North East England

My pooch!

What I woke up to this morning in Brentwood!

Meadowfield in Durham

Snowflakes

Sunderland 2010

Heading off to Waverley Station from Princes Street, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

Firrhill Park in Edinburgh

Garthdee in Aberdeen

River Ouse, York

A field in Fife, Scotland

Snowy picture from outskirts of York

A giant icicle hanging from the roof

A man walks his dog through snow covered woodland at Sutton Bank

Graig Hill in South Wales

Reflections of snow covered trees are seen in a lake near Sutton Bank

A leaf is seen on snow covered ground in Helmsley, northern England

Mary Daniel, Aberdeenshire

Photos of Aberdeen University taken by Simon Beveridge

Photos of Aberdeen University taken by Simon Beveridge

Winter wonderland,Clara Vale Tyne and Wear

Lower East Side, the morning after. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

A bit wet. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

New York’s last stand. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Piece to camera in front of the stock exchange. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Stock exchange floor? All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Matt Frei walking through a deserted Wall Street. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Pumping out the flood water. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

The clean-up begins. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Ground Zero, the morning after, viewed from Dai Baker’s hotel room. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Reporters standing around in puddles. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

West side highway, under water. All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Oh, Sandy! All rights reserved Dai Baker.

Anti-capitalist protesters say they will not give up until the government says there will be change (Reuters).

Protesters have set up tents outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London (Reuters).

The Occupy London movement is inspired by similar protests in Wall Street (Getty).

The protesters say they want to challenge the bankers and financial institutions

The protesters have been camped out in central London for over a week (Getty).

The protests have remained largely peaceful although there have been some arrests (Getty).

Protesters are camped out day and night in the heart of London’s financial district (Getty).

Signs cover a cash machine in central London, part of the Occupy London protest (Getty).

Harry Potter joins the Occupy London protests – complete with owl (Getty).

In recent days, anti-government protests in Ukraine have spilled over into appalling violence.

Protesters here are seen early on Thursday gathering rocks for the battles with riot police which lie ahead in Kiev. Tens of protesters and police have died in clashes.

Diplomacy collapsed this morning – both on the square and internationally – as live ammunition was used in Kiev’s Independence Square against protesters.

One protester here reaches for a petrol bomb from the barricades, aimed at police, as trench warfare takes over the Ukrainian capital.

Anti-government protesters take shelter from snipers apparently firing from buildings above them in Independence Square, or Maidan, as much of the world calls it.

Protesters first took to the streets in December to protest against President Yanukovych’s cosy relationship with Russia. This has been the most deadly day so far.

Channel 4 News Europe Editor Matt Frei, in Kiev, has seen scores injured as well as dead bodies on the ground of the square.

Riot police in Kiev – some have even been captured by protesters as the battles turn into full-scale warfare.

At least 27 have died in violence on Thursday alone in Kiev’s Independence Square. Some reports put the death toll as high as 70.

A protester speaks on his phone, as clashes continue as darkness falls in central Kiev.

Molotov cocktails, slingshots, and real bullets – the violence on the square has spiralled out of control as Ukraine’s president refuses to back down despite international condemnation.

Bullet hole in flak jacket of dead protester. This was no rubber or plastic bullet, tweeted Channel 4 News Europe Editor Matt Frei from Kiev.

Night falls on Independence Square. The world hopes for a peaceful resolution – but protesters and police alike are preparing for another night of violence.

Greece was the natural choice to host the first modern Olympics Games in 1896, which saw the Panathinaiko Stadium packed with 80,000 spectators for the opening ceremony.

Italy missed out on hosting the Games in 1908 after Mount Vesuvius erupted, devestating the city of Naples. The Games went to London with the opening ceremony held in the White City Stadium.

In 1912 it was Sweden’s turn. The Olympic Stadium in Stockholm heard a hymn, a traditional Swedish chant, and prayers in Swedish and English.

Around 45,000 spectators filled the Olympic Stadium of Colombes for the 1924 Paris opening ceremony. British stars that year were sprinters Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, who were later the subject of the film Chariots of Fire.

Three years before the start of the second world war, Adolf Hitler hosted the Olympics in Berlin to showcase Aryan prowess – the year of American sprinter Jesse Owens’ historic four gold medals.

After a 12-year gap because of the second world war, London again hosted the Olympic Games in 1948. The opening ceremony, held at Wembley, featured army bands playing to a crowd of 85,000.

Australian athlete Ron Clarke lit the torch for the 17th Olympic Games, held in Melbourne in 1956. The Soviet Union was the most successful medal winning country that year, with 98 in total and 37 golds.

Japanese student Yoshinari Sakai was chosen to light the torch at the opening ceremony of the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Born on the day atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima, he was to represent Japan’s reconstruction.

Balloons were released over Mexico City’s Olympic Stadium for the start of the 1968 Olympic Games, in the year that Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists in a human rights protest.

Los Angeles was the host for the 1984 Olympic Games with the opening ceremony featuring Etta James singing the national anthem and Bill Suitor arriving by a jet pack.

Live doves were released at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games opening ceremony to represent world peace. However, many of the doves were burnt alive by the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

Flamenco dancer Cristina Hoyos rode a horse through a crowd of dancers at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Barcelona in 1992. The Olympic torch was lit in a stunt featuring Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo.

In one of the most poignant moments from an opening ceremony, Muhammad Ali, battling with Parkinson’s disease, lit the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The 2000 opening ceremony in Sydney upped the lavish ante on previous events with a cast of 12,687 performing a range of Australian themed displays.

The Games returned to Athens in 2004, with the opening ceremony held at the Olympic Stadium in Maroussi, a suburn of Athens.

Costing an estimated $100m, the Beijing opening ceremony in 2008 featured an astonishing amount of fireworks, a man running through the air and controversial use of the majority Han Chinese to represent other ethnic groups.