Which city was the first to light the Olympic flame, what do the five rings on the flag mean and which country hosted the first Games?
The fires might have been lit in Ancient Greece but which city was the first in the modern era to light the Olympic flame?
The lighting of the Olympic Flame is an integral and symbolic ceremony which seeks to bind the ancient and modern Games.
It wasn't until sometime after the advent of the modern Olympics, however, that the flame was lit for the first time - here's all you need to know.
What is the historical meaning of the Olympic flame?
The Olympic flame was originally introduced to the ancient Games to commemorate the theft of fire, from the Greek god Zeus, by Prometheus.
Within the ancient bounds of Olympia, the flame was lit at the altar of the sanctuary to the goddess Hestia.
The fire was kept continuously burning throughout the ancient Olympic Games as fire was believed to have divine connotations.
As the Olympic Games were dedicated to Zeus, extra flames were also lit at his temple and that of his wife's, Hera.
When was the first Olympic flame lit in the modern era?
The first Olympic Games in modern history was held in Athens in 1896 - it is officially known was Games Of The I Olympiad.
It wasn't until the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam that the first modern era Olympic flame was lit.
It was lit on top of a tower which overlooked the Olympic Stadium.
Four years later, the flame followed a similar tradition in Los Angeles. The flame was lit atop a gateway to the Olympic Stadium.
The modern convention of the Olympic relay first appeared in the 1936 Games in Berlin, Germany.
The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece and was then transported 3,187km by 3,331 runners in twelve days and eleven nights.
Legendary German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl staged this momentous torch relay for her film Olympia (1938).
Although the Olympic Flame is typically carried by runners, it has throughout modern history found different methods of transportation, such as by boat to cross the English Channel in 1948 and 2012, and underwater at the Great Barrier Reef for the 2000 Olympics in Australia.
Continuing to bind the ancient and modern histories, the flame is lit at the Greek temple to Hera before it begins its journey to the host city.
What do the Five Olympic rings signify?
The Olympic Rings are five inter-locking rings which are coloured blue, yellow, black, green and red.
The symbol was first designed in 1912 and the rings were supposed to signify the 5 participating continents of the world: Africa, Asia, America, Australia and Europe.
The colours of the rings, including the white background, composed of every nation's flag competing at the Olympics at the time.
Upon its initial introduction, their creator, Pierre de Coubertin stated:
"... the six colors [which includes the white background] combined in this way reproduce the colours of every country without exception.
"The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tricolor flags of France, England, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain are included.
"As are the innovative flags of Brazil and Australia, and those of ancient Japan and modern China.
"This, truly, is an international emblem."