The Olympic torch and the lighting ceremony are a huge part of the Olympics as we know it today. The Olympic torch’s history dates back centuries to ancient Greece. The history of the modern Olympic torch ceremony that we perform today started decades ago. The torch made its first appearance in the modern age games at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, and then again made its next appearance four years later in the Los Angeles games.

For the 1936 Olympic games held in Berlin, not only was it the first Winter Olympics to have the torch involved, but it was also decided to take the torch lighting ceremony back to its roots in Olympia, where the flame has been lit for every Summer Games since then. This decision coincided with the creation of the Olympic torch relay which is still performed to this day.

By the time the 1964 Innsbruck Olympic Games came around, Olympia had been installed as the sole venue for the flame lighting ceremony, and the tradition has been continued and again the duty will be  performed in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.