OPENING CEREMONY - LONDON 2012

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event.

The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation.

It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people. 

The spectacular finale of the event saw the Olympic Cauldron, formed of 205 copper petals representing the competing nations coming together in London for the Games, ignited by seven young Torchbearers nominated by Britain’s past and present Olympic and sporting greats.
Designer Thomas Heatherwick's work was a highlight of the ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, watched by 80,000 spectators.

BUSHY PARK TO OLYMPIC STADIUM

The torch will go for a spin round the maze at 16th century Hampoton Court Palace before taking to the Thames and arriving in the early afternoon at Tower Bridge. It will next appear in public at the Olympic Games ceremony.

LONDON QUIZ

London quiz on PhotoPeach

LONDON OLYMPIC CITY

London, olympic city from Rosafersa

OLIMPIC TORCH: LONDON VENUES REVEALED

London's most famous landmarks will be visited by the Olympic flame on the day before the opening ceremony.

On 26 July, the torch will be carried from Camden to Westminster in the final stages of the Olympic flame's journey through every London borough.

Torchbearers will visit venues including Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

The 175 torchbearers will carry the flame through Camden, Islington, City of London, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and City of Westminster on day 69.

The penultimate day of the Olympic Torch Relay is set to include many of London's iconic landmarks which are famous around the world and give the city its special character.

LONDON 2012: A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE OLYMPIC PARK

From the showpiece of the Olympic stadium to the cutting-edge sustainable design of the Velodrome, our 3D map of the Olympic Park takes you on a tour of the architectural stars of London 2012. Click on the blue buttons across the top to begin, and other arrows for more detailed information.

8th CENTENARY OF THE BATTLE OF NAVAS DE TOLOSA

In Spain, we commemorate on 16th July the 8th Centenary of the Battle of Navas de Tolosa, an event in which the Christian kingdoms were victorious over their Muslim overlords. The battle took place on 16th July 1212, in the town of Navas de Tolosa in the Jaen region, where King Alfonso VIII of Castile, having struck alliances with the sovereigns Sancho VII of Navarre, known as The Strong, and Pedro the Catholic of Aragon, challenged the Arab Almohad army led by the caliph An-Nasir. The battle can be categorised as a crusade since it had the support of Pope Innocent III. The victory of the Christian armies led to their expansion throughout the south of the peninsula, was the first step in the decline of Muslim power and gave a major boost to the Reconquista.

THE ROLLING STONES CELEBRATES 50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Fifty years after the Rolling Stones’ first-ever live performance on July 12, 1962 at the Marquee Club London, the band gathered today at the iconic venue to celebrate their 50-year anniversary as a band.

The then-unknown band performed at the club in a segment on BBC Radio’s Jazz Club program. This marked the band’s first show of a prolific music career. To celebrate their momentous occasion, famed photographer Rankin snapped Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood back at the location where it all started decades ago.

Celebrating the band’s historic career and longevity, the Rolling Stones are releasing their official book, 50, which highlights previously unseen photos and material from the past 50 years, on July 12.

QUEEN GREETS OLYMPIC TORCH 2012 AT WINDSOR

The Olimpic torch visited the Queen at Windsor Castle, was carried by the man who broke the four-minute mile and by Britain's greatest Olympic rower and even got a passing glance at a streaker.

On a stormy Tuesday, 10th July,  the Queen held an unopened umbrella as Gina Macgregor, a sodden 74-year-old runner, carried the torch to the castle.

Macgregor joked about being caught in a downpour, telling the Queen she had "looked fine this morning" when she set off with the fire that was lit back in May in Greece to mark the London Olympics.

The day began with the torch being held aloft by 83-year-old Roger Bannister, who in 1954 became the first runner to smash the four-minute mile.

The torch is winding its way 12,900 kilometres across the country ahead of the July 27-August 12 Olympics.

LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS TRAILER

A learning game by English Attack!

THE OLYMPIC RINGS AT TOWER BRIDGE

The olympic rings are already installed at Tower Bridge to mark the final countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Rings weigh more than three tonnes and measure over 25 metres wide by 11.5 metres tall.

During the Games, each of London‘s famous bridges will be lit up in the evenings in a dazzling display of colour.

THE SHARD, THE TALLEST BUILDING IN EUROPE

The Shard (also referred to as Shard London Bridge, the London Bridge Tower or the Shard of Glass) is a skyscraper in London, England. Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 ft) high, it was topped out on 30 March 2012 and opened on 5 July 2012. The Shard is the tallest building in Europe.

The Shard's inauguration ceremony was rounded off with a laser light show that lit up the capital. 

Twelve lasers and 30 searchlights lit upo the night sky, to celebrate the external completion of The Shard.

Green lasers and streams of light stretched out from the 95 story building on London's Southbank on Thursday evening.

They reached across to landmarks including the London Eye, the Gherkin and Tower Bridge.

The show, observed by the Duke of York and the Qatari prime minister, was the finale to The Shard's inauguration celebration.

The display was set to two pieces of classical music, performed live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

JUSTIN BIEBER'S WAX FIGURE

A video where Justin Bieber explains the process of wax modeling and the related exercise.

Click on the photo.

SPAIN CELEBRATES EURO 2012 TITLE

Hundreds of thousands poured out onto the streets to welcome home the Spanish national football team after its victory in the Euro 2012 championship. 

Kittled out in red 'Champions of Europe' T-shirts, the team toured the packed streets of the city in an open-top bus as a sea of supporters waved and blew horns.

Fans have been celebrating since Sunday, when Spain team beat Italy 4-0 in the final in the Ucrainian capital, Kiev.

Players were received by the King Juan Carlos I and other members of the Spanish royal family offering his congratulations, the king told the team: 'You have made the entire country happy'

Spain is the first team to win three major international tournaments in succession.

SPAIN WINS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012

Defending champions Spain claimed an historic third successive major international trophy with a 4-0 rout of Italy in the Euro 2012 final in Kiev Sunday.

It was a breathtaking display from the 2010 World Cup winners, with victory all but sealed by halftime as goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba gave them a 2-0 lead.

Substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata rounded off the emphatic win with two late strikes.

The defense was impenetrable. The offense was unstoppable. Simply put, it was another Spanish party on the international stage.

Spain won its third straight major soccer title Sunday, routing Italy 4-0 in the European Championship final and making it look all too easy.

Victory in the final also represents a triumph for 61-year-old coach Vicente Del Bosque, the first man to lead teams to the World Cup, European Championships and European Champions League crowns, the latter with Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002.