1996 Summer Olympics torch relay

Top section of a torch showing the logo of the 1996 Games

The torch was designed by Malcolm Grear and featured 22 aluminum "reeds" intended to represent the number of times that the Games had been held. A gold-plated band towards the base of the torch features the names of all 20 host cities up to and including Atlanta while the logo is etched into another band near the top. The handle, made of Georgia hardwood by Hillerich & Bradsby Co, maker of Louisville Slugger bats, is found near the center of the 76 centimetres (30 in) torch.[3][4] In total it weighed 1,600 grams (56 oz).[4] Torchbearers were allowed to purchase for $275 the torch that they had carried.[5]

A runner carrying the torch during the relay

The initial journey of the Olympic flame always begins in Olympia. Over 800 people carried the torch a distance of 2,141 kilometres (1,330 mi) across Greece, the most extensive in the history of the Games.[4] The flame then landed at Los Angeles International Airport on April 27, 1996, and was met with a welcome ceremony. The first torchbearer of the American part of the relay, Rafer Johnson, was the final torchbearer at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.[6] It went on to visit 42 states and 29 state capitols along a journey of 26,875 kilometres (16,699 mi).[3][4] The torch was carried by 12,467 bearers including 2,000 former Olympians or other people somehow linked to the Olympic movement, 5,500 people who had been nominated locally as "community heroes", and 2,500 people picked out in a draw.[4][5]

The route was designed to take in as many historically and culturally significant locations as possible.[6] The torch was first carried to Santa Monica Pier and was greeted at the first of hundreds of celebratory events. It then proceeded along the coast and up to Kingman, Arizona, at which point it joined the famous Route 66, passing close to the Grand Canyon and reaching Hoover Dam. It was carried across by Martha Watson and the world's largest US flag was unfurled across the wall of the dam.[6]

The route featured a wide variety in the methods of transport used, including bicycles, boats, and trains.[3] From Las Vegas the flame was passed onto a special cauldron car on a Union Pacific train, the first of several train journeys. The National Pony Express Association participated in the journey with riders carrying the torch for over 56 continuous hours. On June 12 the torch was taken on board a replica of a 19th-century packet boat and pulled for 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) along Erie Canal by mule.[6] The torch was also carried into space for the first time, with astronauts taking an unlit torch with them aboard Space Shuttle Columbia as part of STS-78.[7][8][9] This was replicated during the 2000 Summer Olympics torch relay and as part of the 2014 Winter Olympics torch relay.[10]

While the relay went without any major mishaps there was need for a 15-mile diversion on the route between Baton Rouge and New Orleans – a 310,000 US gallons (1,200,000 l; 260,000 imp gal) gasoline spillage in Gramercy, Louisiana, necessitated the detour.[5]

Date	Map
April 27 (day 1): Los Angeles April 28 (day 2): San Diego	Los Angeles San Diego
April 29 (day 3): Yuma April 30 (day 4): Phoenix	Yuma Phoenix
May 1 (day 5): Las Vegas	Las Vegas
May 2 (day 6): San Luis Obispo May 3 (day 7): San Jose May 4 (day 8): San Francisco May 5 (day 9): Sacramento	San Luis Obispo San Jose San Francisco Sacramento
May 6 (day 10): Eugene May 7 (day 11): Salem May 8 (day 12): Portland	Eugene Salem Portland
May 9 (day 13): Olympia May 10 (day 14)): Seattle	Olympia Seattle
May 11 (day 15): Boise May 12 (day 16): Pocatello	Boise Pocatello
May 13 (day 17): Salt Lake City	Salt Lake City
May 14 (day 18): Cheyenne	Cheyenne
May 15 (day 19): Denver May 16 (day 20): Colorado Springs	Denver Colorado Springs
May 17 (day 21): Kearney	Kearney
May 18 (day 22): St. Joseph May 19 (day 23): Kansas City	St. Joseph Kansas City
May 20 (day 24): Topeka May 21 (day 25): Wichita	Topeka Wichita
May 22 (day 26): Oklahoma City	Oklahoma City
May 23 (day 27): Dallas May 24 (day 28): Fort Worth	Dallas Fort Worth
May 25 (day 29)): Baton Rouge May 26 (day 30): New Orleans	Baton Rouge New Orleans
May 27 (day 31): Jackson	Jackson
May 28 (day 32): Little Rock	Little Rock
May 29 (day 33): Memphis	Memphis
May 30 (day 34): St. Louis	St. Louis
May 31 (day 35): Iowa City June 1 (day 36): Cedar Rapids	Iowa City Cedar Rapids
June 2 (day 37): Minneapolis June 3 (day 38): Saint Paul	Minneapolis Saint Paul
June 4 (day 39): Milwaukee	Milwaukee
June 5 (day 40): Chicago	Chicago
June 6 (day 41): Indianapolis	Indianapolis
June 7 (day 42): Louisville	Louisville
June 8 (day 43): Cincinnati June 9 (day 44): Columbus	Cincinnati Columbus
June 10 (day 45): Detroit	Detroit
June 11 (day 46): Cleveland	Cleveland
June 12 (day 47): Erie	Erie
June 13 (day 48): Buffalo June 14 (day 49): Niagara Falls June 15 (day 50): Rochester June 16 (day 51): Albany	Buffalo Niagara Falls Rochester Albany
June 17 (day 52): Bennington	Bennington
June 18 (day 53): Nashua	Nashua
June 19 (day 54): Boston	Boston
June 20 (day 55): Providence	Providence
June 21 (day 56): New Haven	New Haven
June 22 (day 57): New York City	New York City
June 23 (day 58): Trenton	Trenton
June 24 (day 59): Philadelphia	Philadelphia
June 25 (day 60): Baltimore June 26 (day 61): Washington, D.C.	Baltimore Washington, D.C.
June 27 (day 62): Richmond	Richmond
June 28 (day 63): Raleigh June 29 (day 64): Winston-Salem June 30 (day 65): Charlotte	Raleigh Winston-Salem Charlotte
July 1 (day 66): Greenville	Greenville
July 2 (day 67): Knoxville July 3 (day 68): Nashville	Knoxville Nashville
July 4 (day 69): Birmingham July 5 (day 70): Montgomery	Birmingham Montgomery
July 6 (day 71): Tallahassee July 7 (day 72): Gainesville July 8 (day 73): Tampa July 9 (day 74): Sarasota July 9 (day 74): Jacksonville July 10 (day 75): Miami July 11 (day 76): Fort Lauderdale July 12 (day 77): West Palm Beach July 13 (day 78): Orlando July 14 (day 79): Daytona Beach	Tallahassee Gainesville Tampa Sarasota Jacksonville Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach Orlando Daytona Beach
July 15 (day 80): Savannah July 16 (day 81): Macon July 17 (day 82): Athens July 18 (day 83): Rome July 19 (day 84): Atlanta July 19 (day 84): Centennial Olympic Stadium	Savannah Macon Athens Rome Atlanta Centennial Olympic Stadium

The relay was sponsored by Coca-Cola with accompanying cars, vans, and trucks emblazoned with the logo. Revenue from the drinks sold from the travelling party were donated to charity.[5] As part of the deal Coca-Cola were allowed to choose a quarter of the relay runners. They gave nomination forms away as part of a promotional deal with 12-packs of their cans with the entries largely being selected at random.[11]

Muhammad Ali, the surprise final torchbearer, pictured in 2004

The end of the relay took place on July 19, 1996, at the opening ceremony in Atlanta. Four-time gold medal-winning discus thrower Al Oerter carried the torch to the stadium, passing it to Evander Holyfield. Holyfield was then joined by Voula Patoulidou and the pair passed the flame to American swimmer Janet Evans, the penultimate torchbearer, who carried it around a lap of the track and up a long ramp leading towards the northern end of the stadium.[12][13]

The identity of the final torchbearer had been kept secret and was only revealed when Muhammad Ali appeared at the top of the ramp. Ali, who had won gold at the 1960 Games in Rome and later developed Parkinson's disease, lit a mechanical torch which then travelled along a wire, lighting the cauldron at the top of a 116-foot (35 m) tower.[12][13] His appearance has been referred to as being one of the most inspiring, poignant, and emotional moments in Olympic history.[12][14][15]