File image of Elon Musk and Paris photos from space.© X (Twitter)
Stunning views of Paris from space went viral on social media as the city welcomed the Olympics 2024 with a grand opening ceremony. Pictures taken from space - taken by NASA - showed the city of Paris glittering, as the Olympics officially got underway. Such was the beauty of the images that Elon Musk, chairman of X and space exploration company SpaceX, could not help but react to them. He retweeted the images in a post which captioned Paris as the "City of Light".
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) July 26, 2024
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony saw a number of memorable moments take place. From rain to stars, the Parisian night was glittered by the grandeur of the opening ceremony and the grandest sports event on earth.
Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony: As it happened
The opening ceremony had the misfortune to take place as heavy summer downpours descended on Paris even as forecasts showed days of hot sunny weather ahead.
As the national teams paraded down the Seine on boats, they sought to make the best of the situation, likely hoping the damp would have no impact on health before the events.
Canadian singer Celine Dion, who had been battling a rare illness, made a spectacular comeback by singing from the Eiffel Tower at the climax of the ceremony with a rousing version of the "Hymn to Love" by Edith Piaf.
Some 80 artists from the celebrated Moulin Rouge cabaret performed the iconic cancan dance that dates back to the 1820s, in pink costumes specially designed for the occasion.
As the teams began their parade down the Seine, they were serenaded by an accordion player, dressed in the obligatory French outfit of beret and blue-striped T-shirts.
From homegrown rapper Rim'K to huge stars like Lady Gaga, the Paris Olympics opening ceremony was no short of star power either.