Per tradition, the torch was lit on April 15 in Olympia, Greece, honoring the historical birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games, which date back to 776 BC. Once lit, 600 torchbearers carried the ...

who also designed the Olympic Torch. For the first time in the history of the Games, the cauldron — a 7-meter (23-feet) diameter ring of fire supported by a giant air balloon — flew through the air.

Fuel pack in the torch developed by Waeco Ltd of Salisbury, now part of Pains Wessex famous for their fireworks.The torch, which bears the official markings of the 1948 games, was used in the ...

The balloon, lit by the Olympic torch and set off into the sky ... His idea, inspired by the ancient Greek Olympic flame ceremony, was to represent freedom — one of the three words in the ...