1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony 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. The Olympic cauldron was lit by former gold medalist and boxing champion Muhammad Ali. The ceremony features Award-winning and Grammy Award-time nominated film composer, John Williams, French
Torch-lighting Ceremony (Israel) Minister was allowed to give a short speech in honor of Israel's 70th anniversary and even kindle a torch together with the Speaker. Eventually, Prime Minister Netanyahu broke the deal and spoke for 14 minutes which was almost twice as much as what was usually given to the Speaker. Torch-lighting Ceremony (Israel) Torch-lighting ceremony () is the official ceremony that marks the closure of the Yom Hazikaron celebrations and the opening of the Independence Day celebrations in Israel. The Ceremony is held annually at the burial site of Theodor Herzl, the Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, and is officiated by the