Origin and History of the Olympic Torch Relay

Key Points

• 1The Olympic torch arrived in France’s Marseilles on Wednesday.
• 2The torch was first lit on April 16 in the Greek town of Olympia.
• 3The torch will reach Paris on July 26 — the day of the opening ceremony.
• 4The idea of a torch relay came later, with the tradition solidified with a proposal from Carl Diem in 1936.
• 5The flame was lit using the rays of the sun, and a skaphia was used.