A huge Olympian ceremony marked the kick off of the 2012 Summer Olympics last night in London’s new Olympic Stadium. The Olympics ceremony was followed by an estimated 1 billion viewers. Performances paid tribute to British heritage and culture, from agrarian beginnings through pop culture successes like the Beatles and J.K. Rowling. Contingents from more than 200 nations marched in the athletes parade, and the evening was capped off by the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron, a performance by Paul McCartney, and a huge fireworks display. Collected below is just a glimpse of last night’s sensational Olympics ceremony, as the 2012 Olympics are now underway.
The Olympic cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, on July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Sheeting is extended across the audience during the 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, on July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Actors portraying the Queen of England and James Bond arrive via parachute after jumping from a helicopter during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, on July 27, 2012. (Reuters/Murad Sezer)
Kenneth Branagh dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Britain’s most revered engineer recites Caliban’s speech from Shakespeare’s The Tempest at London’s Olympic Stadium, on July 27, 2012. (Reuters/David Gray)
An actor scales a representation of a chimney during an enactment of the Industrial Revolution at the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, on July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Newly “forged” Olympic rings light up the stadium in London, on July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Britain’s David Beckham (center) drives a powerboat with the Olympic torch as fireworks are launched over Tower Bridge during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, on July 27, 2012. (Reuters/Eddie Keogh)
Young actors perform as children haunted by creatures from British storybooks in London’s Olympic Stadium, on July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
A giant marionette of Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter books makes an appearance in the Opening Ceremony, on July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Actors perform in a sequence meant to represent Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), on July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Union Flags, commonly known as the Union Jack, are projected on the Palace of Westminster next to Big Ben on the bank of the River Thames, on July 27, 2012. (Reuters/Sergio Perez)
Performers dressed as the character Mary Poppins descend to the ground in the Olympic Stadium, on July 27, 2012. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
Actor Rowan Atkinson, known for his character Mr. Bean, performs in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, on July 27, 2012. (Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach)
Artists dance during a medley of British pop songs through the years, in London, on July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/ Ezra Shaw)
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