1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

1996 Summer Olympics
opening ceremony

Date	19 July 1996 (1996-07-19)
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, United States
Coordinates	33°44′08″N 84°23′22″W
Also known as	The Centennial World
Filmed by	NBC and ABC

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1996 Summer Olympics Bid process Venues Marketing (mascots) Broadcasters Torch relay Opening ceremony (flag bearers) Medal table (medalists) Closing ceremony Event calendar World and Olympic records Paralympics (medal table) IOC

The opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics took place in the evening on Friday 19 July in the Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, United States. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation’s culture and history.

Proceedings

1. Welcoming Ceremony

2. Tribes of the World

3. The Call to the Nations

4. The Power of the Dream

5. Georgia on My Mind

6. Welcome to the World

7. Summertime

8. The Olympic Flame

Welcoming Ceremony

The ceremony began with a flashback from Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in August 1992 which showed the then president of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch asking the athletes to compete in Atlanta in 1996.

Tribes of the World

Spirits rose in the northwest corner of the stadium, each representing one of the colors in the Olympic rings. They called the tribes of the world which after mixed percussion formed the Olympic rings while the youth of Atlanta formed the number 100 and the shape of a dove. Famed film composer John Williams featuring the Boston Pops Orchestra composed the official overture for the 1996 Olympics, Summon the Heroes, his second overture for an Olympic games (the first being Olympic Fanfare and Theme written for the 1984 Summer Olympics). The tribes formed a sun filled with long colored papers.

The Call to the Nations

The athletes welcomed around the stadium with more than 10,000 athletes. Featuring 197 flags and 197 flagbearers, the name Libya was "Libyan Arab Jamarhiya" as a sensitive name, as American language is alphabetic.

The Power of the Dream

The song "The Power of the Dream", composed by David Foster performing in the opening ceremony by Céline Dion accompanied by David Foster on the piano, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Centennial Choir (Morehouse College Glee Club, Spelman College Glee Club and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus).

Georgia on My Mind

Gladys Knight sang "Georgia on My Mind", Georgia's official state song, at the opening ceremony.

Welcome to the World

There was also a showcase called "Welcome To The World", which featured cheerleaders, Chevrolet pick-up trucks, marching bands, and steppers, showcasing the American youth and college sporting culture, including the wave commonly seen in sporting events around the world.

Summertime

A showcase entitled "Summertime" focused on Atlanta and the Old South with a placement on its beauty, spirit, music, history, culture, and rebirth after the American Civil War. It was features man and woman, butterflies and a giant thunderbird. The music was performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The Olympic Flame

Al Oerter carried the torch to the stadium, passing it to Evander Holyfield. Holyfield was then joined by Voula Patoulidou and the pair passed the flame to American swimmer Janet Evans,the penultimate torchbearer, who carried it around a lap of the track and up a long ramp leading towards the northern end of the stadium. Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies of the games and received a replacement gold medal for his boxing victory in the 1960 Summer Olympics. For the torch ceremony, more than 10,000 Olympic torches were manufactured by the American Meter Company and electroplated by Erie Plating Company. Each torch weighed about 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) and was made primarily of aluminum, with a Georgia pecan wood handle and gold ornamentation.

National Anthem and the Olympic Flag

The American flag and the Olympic flag was handed by American champions, converted to United States Army to raise the flag properly. The national anthem and the Olympic Hymn was performed by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra featuring the Centennial Choir while the American and Olympic flag was raised.