Summer Olympics begin in Paris Jul. 26, 2024

Today marks the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris. The City of Light becomes the second city, after London, to host the Summer Olympics for a third time. What makes these Games truly unique is the opening ceremony: rather than in a stadium, participants will parade along the Seine on a flotilla of boats, passing under the Pont Neuf, pictured here, and cheered by spectators lining both banks. Paris is no stranger to historic firsts; the 1900 Games in the city was where women competed for the first time, although only 22 out of 997 athletes were women.

© f11photo/Getty Images

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