1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony Antwerp flag was then present to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley as Bradley was not present at the closing ceremonies of the 1980 Moscow games. Speeches are made by LAOOC President Peter Ueberroth and IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch. The first time a sitting US president officially opened the games in person. President Ronald Reagan declared the competition officially open. The Olympic Flag entered the stadium. The Olympic Hymn is played with no words. Homing Pigeons were released. The same cauldron was used as in the 1932 Summer Games. The orchestra played "The Olympian" composed and conducted by Philip Glass.
Olympic Games take place in Athens in 1896. The IOC elected the Greek writer Demetrius Vikelas as its first president. The first Games held under the auspices of the IOC was hosted in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens in 1896. The Games brought together 14 nations and 241 athletes who competed in 43 events. Zappas and his cousin Konstantinos Zappas had left the Greek government a trust to fund future Olympic Games. This trust was used to help finance the 1896 Games. George Averoff contributed generously for the refurbishment of the stadium in preparation for the Games. The Greek government also provided