The Olympic Stadium:
The Olympic Stadium is the largest center piece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. These stadiums are the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. During the actual games they host the track and field events.
- The first opening ceremonies were held during the 1908 Olympic Games in London.
- The first Olympic closing ceremony happened at the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896.
- The 1920 Antwerp, Belgium games had a number of Olympic firsts. These were there first to have the Olympic flag to be flown, to be first where the Olympic Oath was voiced and the first to have the release of doves.
- The first modern Olympic Flame in a stadium was at the 1928 Amsterdam games.
- The first Olympic Flame relay from Athens to the host city took place during the 1936 Berlin (Nazi Olympics) games.
- The 1956 Melbourne Closing Ceremony was the first where the athletes were merged as a single unit.
Olympic Stadium Capacity
1896 Athens 80,000
1900 Paris 50,000
1904 St. Louis 19,000
1908 London 68,000
1912 Stockholm 20,000
1920 Antwerp 12,771
1924 Paris 45,000
1924 Paris 45,000
1928 Amsterdam 31,600
1932 Los Angeles 101,574
1936 Berlin 110,000
1948 London 82,000
1948 London 82,000
1952 Helsinki 40,000
1956 Melbourne 100,000
1956 Melbourne 100,000
1960 Rome 65,000
1964 Tokyo 57,363
1964 Tokyo 57,363
1968 Mexico City 83,700
1972 Munich 80,000
1972 Munich 80,000
1976 Montreal 66,308
1980 Moscow 103,000
1984 Los Angeles 93,607
1988 Seoul 69,950
1992 Barcelona 70,000
1996 Atlanta 85,000
1992 Barcelona 70,000
1996 Atlanta 85,000
2000 Sydney 114,714
2004 Athens 71,030
2008 Beijing 91,000
2008 Beijing 91,000
2012 London 80,000
2016 Rio de Janeiro
2016 Rio de Janeiro
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Video: 2012 Olympic Stadium London- AFP
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Video: 1908 Olympic Games London –BBC News
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Video: 1908 Olympics London –IOC
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Video: 1908 Olympics London –BFI Films
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Video: 1936 Olympics Berlin –IOC
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Congratulations to all the world Olympians who made the journey to London for the Games of the XXX Olympiad.
Much success and best wishes …. Team USA!
Dilemma X 
July 27, 2012
Athletics