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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="394841" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="wildfires">Wildfires</keyword> continue to rage across <keyword id="6357856" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Greece">Greece</keyword>, as well as Turkey, Italy, and Spain.</li><li>Thousands of residents have been evacuated, with their homes destroyed.</li><li><keyword id="939703" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ancient-Olympia">Ancient Olympia</keyword> is under threat from the <keyword id="42704" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="fires">fires</keyword>, with over 250 wildfires sparked in recent days.</li></ul>Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of <a href="https://www.insider.com/tokyo-2020-olympics-live-updates-2021-7">the Olympic Games</a>, is under threat by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greece-wildfires-wildfire-risk-increases-across-europe-photos-2018-7">the wildfires that continue to rage on in Greece.</a>The fires, which started in late July and have been burning for over two weeks now, are raging towards archaeological sites in Olympia.Under threat are some of Olympia's most fabulous monuments, including the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Zeus. Meanwhile, the original site of the <keyword id="6360967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics">Olympics</keyword> where the games were held from 776 BC to 393 AD, is also in danger from the infernos.Firefighters had previously <a href="https://www.insider.com/greek-firefighters-stop-wildfire-from-burning-site-of-ancient-olympics-2021-8">stopped three fires from reaching the site on Wednesday</a>, but it is now under threat again. More than 250 wildfires have been blazing in the last few days, with 154 documented on Friday alone.<div type="image" title="Ancient Olympia" height="2662" width="3549" msid="85127264" hostid="261"></div>Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, with around 20 houses destroyed in the fires yesterday alone. Over 50 firetrucks, six helicopters, 170 firefighters, and a water-bombing aircraft have been utilized in the battle to wrangle the fires under control.As reported by <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/greece-wildfires-firefighter-killed-and-thousands-evacuated-as-blazes-rage-12375064">Sky News</a>, one of the volunteer firefighters was killed in the fires while thousands were evacuated from the island of Evia, which lies near to Athens. The volunteer died after a utility pole hit his head, officials said.At least 20 people have been left needing hospital treatment across Greece, according to Sky News, while various farm animals have been killed and multiple business and homes destroyed.<div type="image" title="Greece wildfires destroyed house" height="2656" width="3541" msid="85127266" hostid="261"></div>On the island of Evia, residents and holidaymakers staying in the village of Limni were forced to flee to the harbour after all other exit routes from the village were cut off by the fires."Our priority is always the protection of human life followed by the protection of property, the natural environment and critical infrastructure. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, achieving all these aims at the same time is simply impossible," Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister, said in an address to the nation on TV.In total, an estimate of 5,000 acres has burned, with temperatures reaching 107.6F - the highest temperature in Greece since 1987.The worst, however, may still be yet to come.Strong winds are predicted to arrive in Greece, which will only fan and increase the fires. In a statement to broadcaster ERT, head of the coast guard of Aidipsos, Evia, Sotiris Danikas, said: "We're talking about the apocalypse, I don't know how to describe it."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-video-europe-china-flooding-oregon-siberia-canada-wildfires-2021-7">Extreme weather has been hitting several countries worldwide</a>, with Turkey, Italy, and Spain also engulfed in <a href="https://www.insider.com/turkey-fires-tourists-evacuated-off-holiday-beaches-in-private-yachts-2021-8">battles against wildfires</a> as southern Europe deals with record-breaking temperatures.

Epic wildfires threaten Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games in Greece

<ul class="summary-list"><li style="list-style-type: none;"><ul class="summary-list"><li>Greek firefighters prevented a wildfire from reaching the ancient Olympics site.</li><li>The three significant fires, and dozens of smaller ones, began Wednesday.</li><li>The wildfires flared up amid the country's worst heatwave in over 30 years.</li></ul></li></ul>Firefighters in Greece successfully prevented a raging wildfire from spreading to an archaeological site at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics. The fires, which sparked amid an extended heatwave, forced the evacuation of dozens of villages, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-science-health-europe-320ccddfdbab642a9ce928f6e7460d23">according to the Associated Press</a>.The wildfire had threatened the site at Olympia, the location where the Olympics took place every four years beginning in 776 B.C. for over a millennium. "This country is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis with multiple fires fueled by a heatwave entering a second week," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the AP while visiting near the ancient grounds.The blazes destroyed buildings and parts of the country's forests, though no deaths or severe injuries were reported, according to the AP. Three major fires - near Athens, on the island of Evia, and in southern Greece - join dozens of smaller ones that broke out Wednesday amid what is described as the country's worst heatwave since 1987, sending temperatures up to 113 Fahrenheit, the AP reported. Neighboring countries like Italy, Turkey, and others in the Mediterranean region are also experiencing brutal temperatures, as an EU disaster response group plans to send firefighters and water-dropping planes from EU members to those struggling to fight the blazes.

Greek firefighters stopped a raging wildfire from burning the ancient birthplace of the Olympics

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Áine Cain/Business InsiderThe chapter on Alexander the Great in "Twelve Against the Gods."</div></div></div>Over the summer, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twelve-against-the-gods-william-bolitho-2016-9">I hunted down a copy</a> of William Bolitho's "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-against-gods-story-adventure/dp/B0007DSQ56/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1475522007&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=%2212+against+the+gods%22&amp;tag=bisafetynet-20">Twelve Against the Gods.</a>" The out-of-print 1929 book exploded in popularity this year <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twelve-against-the-gods-william-bolitho-2016-9">after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk happened to mention he was reading it</a>.It's all about 12 historic individuals who defied norms, disrupted society, and sought adventure.Bolitho kicks off the book with a chapter on the man he describes as the proto-adventurer: Alexander the Great.After his father's assassination in 336 BCE, Alexander the Great ascended to the throne of Macedon at the age of 20. Launching an epic military campaign, he proceeded to spread Hellenistic culture from Greece to India.Alexander was undefeated in battle and is widely regarded as one of history's greatest generals.Bolitho compares the ancient conqueror to a blaze that swept across the Mediterranean world: "Now Fire is a good word for Alexander, who lived like Fire, fought like Fire, and died young, burnt out."In the author's account, Alexander was imbued with immense confidence early on in his life. He was tutored by the philosopher Aristotle himself, and influenced by his mother Olympias's conviction that he was the son of Zeus, conceived via a thunderbolt from heaven.Bolitho credits Alexander's innate confidence in his own destiny with helping to turn him into a "fiery, comfort-hating, father-jealous boy." Rebelling from his easygoing father Philip's goals of conquering neighboring kingdoms and feasting, Alexander adopted a code of "athletic asceticism" and dreamt of conquering faraway places.The author reasons that Alexander "cut everything that can hamper adventure" from his life. This, along with his intense sense of self-belief, allowed him to create one of the largest ancient empires ever at such a young age.However, Bolitho argues that this confidence morphed into arrogance as other conquered people began deifying Alexander. Unable to ever satisfy his need to conquer and fulfill his celestial purpose, he began to spread himself and his forces too thin. After a bloody campaign in India, his weary army forced him to turn back.Bolitho believes that this snuffed out Alexander's flame. Soon afterwards, the self-proclaimed demi god died in Babylon in 323 BCE at the age of 32.So, what can we modern folks learn from this emperor of old? Well, having confidence is clearly a crucial part of achieving greatness. However, it's important to remember that there's a dark side to self-belief.By all means, pursue your goals, but don't make the mistake of believing you're exceptional without having the evidence to back that up. Otherwise, you'll risk burning too bright too fast and, ultimately, smothering your own flame in pursuit of impossible dreams - just like Alexander. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-tony-robbins-confidence-strategy-psychology-2016-6">TONY ROBBINS: How to gain the 'absolute certainty' that makes LeBron James so confident</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="luaHc5eTpqiCz5rB7V6RDNktjsgrap5X" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

I read the 87-year-old book recommended by Elon Musk, and its chapter on an ancient conqueror reveals the downside of confidence

This year's <keyword id="20028513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympic-Games" source="keywords">Olympic Games</keyword> are all set to kick off on Friday, July 26! The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will unfold in a spectacular six-kilometre-long floating procession along the Seine River. Athletes will traverse Paris aboard 160 boats, culminating their journey at the Trocadero, all while the Eiffel Tower gleams with lights. A key highlight of the ceremony will be the arrival of the <keyword id="21323045" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Olympic-flame" source="keywords">Olympic flame</keyword>, carried by the final torchbearer. Upon reaching the arena, the torchbearer will complete a lap before lighting the Olympic cauldron, marking the official commencement of the Games. But where does this iconic Olympic flame originate? Its creation involves a timeless ritual that bridges the ancient traditions of Greece with the modern Olympic Games. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Olympia's timeless tradition: Igniting the flame of peace and friendship" comment="subhead" text="Olympia's timeless tradition: Igniting the flame of peace and friendship">Olympia's timeless tradition: Igniting the flame of peace and friendship</cmsannotation> To this day, the Olympic flame lighting ceremony takes place at Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Games. This ritual, conducted months before the <keyword id="19933819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympics" source="keywords">Olympics</keyword>, symbolises peace and international friendship. The Olympic flame's origins date back to ancient Greece, where a sacred fire was maintained at the altar of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. This fire was ignited using the sun's rays, focused through a parabolic mirror—a method still employed today. During this ceremony, a group of women known as the Vestal Virgins performs a ritual at the <keyword id="22541691" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="temple-of-hera" source="keywords">Temple of Hera</keyword>. The high priestess, clad in traditional garb, calls upon the sun god Apollo and uses a <keyword id="22541690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parabolic-mirror" source="keywords">parabolic mirror</keyword> to concentrate sunlight onto a torch, ensuring the flame is ignited purely by natural sunlight. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Steps of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony" comment="subhead" text="Steps of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony">Steps of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony</cmsannotation> Preparation: The ceremony starts with the high priestess and her attendants assembling at the Temple of Hera, where they perform preparatory rituals. Invocation: The high priestess prays to Apollo, seeking his assistance in lighting the torch. Ignition: Sunlight is focused through the parabolic mirror, generating intense heat to ignite the torch. If weather conditions are adverse, a backup flame from a previous rehearsal may be used. Symbolic acts: Once ignited, the flame is placed in an urn and handed to the first torchbearer, usually a Greek athlete. The ceremony includes the recitation of a poem by the ancient poet Pindar and the release of doves, symbolising peace. <keyword id="22423490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="torch-relay" source="keywords">Torch relay</keyword>: The flame then embarks on its journey, travelling across Greece before being delivered to the host city of the upcoming Olympic Games. This relay serves as a living link between the ancient and modern Olympics, carrying a message of peace and unity. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112005542" title="Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony – when is it, how to watch and all you need to know" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The lighting of the Olympic flame is far more than a ceremonial act; it encapsulates the essence of the Olympics. It serves as a tribute to the ancient Games and their ideals, such as peace and international camaraderie, while emphasising the ongoing continuity of the Olympic movement from past to present and future.

From sunbeams to Olympic dreams: How a simple mirror creates the legendary Olympic flame

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 2024 Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11 in Paris.</li><li>Hundreds of athletes representing 206 countries will compete in 33 unique sports.</li></ul>Every few years, people worldwide tune in to watch the Olympic Games, the world's biggest sporting competitions.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paris-summer-olympics-2024">2024 Olympics</a> are set to begin on July 26 and will continue through August 11 in Paris, France. Athletes from 206 countries in total will compete.With roots in Ancient Greece, the modern Olympics are held every four years, but there are both the Olympic Games, which take place in the summer, and the Winter Olympic Games. The summer and winter games are set two years apart.Billions of people around the world tune into each Olympic Games. Two billion watched the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and three billion watched the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Viewership for the 2024 games may be even higher than the last few cycles, given the Western time zone.You can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/how-to-watch-olympics-live-stream-paris-2024">watch the 2024 Olympic Games</a> on NBC and Telemundo, or stream it on Peacock. Tens of thousands also watch the games in person.The cost of tickets varies by event and date, with tickets for the <a target="_blank" href="https://tickets.paris2024.org/obj/media/FR-Paris2024/ticket-prices.pdf">2024 Games</a> ranging from €24 to €980, or about $26 to $1,066 USD. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tickets-paris-2024-olympics-opening-ceremony-sticker-shock-sold-out-2024-1">Olympics opening ceremony tickets</a> cost nearly $3,000 and were almost completely sold out by January 2024.<h2 id="096d5e93-8e9d-45e3-8907-b170a54f332f">The history of the Olympics</h2>The Olympics are rooted in the Ancient Olympic Games, which started as early as 776 BC.The first Olympics were held in Olympia, a town on the Peloponnese peninsula in ancient Greece. The ancient games were created as something of a religious festival meant to honor Zeus, and occurred every four years for over 1,000 years, according to the IOC.The Ancient Olympic games looked markedly different from today's games. For example, competitors had to be naked during competitions, and some athletes died competing in combat sports like boxing.The modern iteration of the games began in 1896 in Athens, Greece, after Pierre de Coubertin created the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/olympics-inc-inside-the-business-of-the-ioc">International Olympic Committee</a> in 1894. The games have expanded over the past century and a half to become the Olympics we know today. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-olympics-and-paralympics-are-separate-events-2016-8">The Paralympic Games</a> were later introduced in 1960.<div type="image" title="A black-and-white photograph shows eight male athletes performing on eight sets of parallel bars in front of a large crowd of spectators at the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece." height="2134" width="3000" msid="111997944" hostid="261" sizebytes="576462"></div>The symbols associated with the games have become iconic over the past century — particularly the Olympic rings. The rings are made up of five interlocking circles in blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The rings also appear on the Olympic flag.The Olympic Charter, which codifies the principals and rules of the Olympics, states that the symbol of the rings "expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games."Many are also familiar with the Olympic torch, run by relay throughout the host country ahead of the games to light a flame at the Opening Ceremonies. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/olympic-torch-runner-invented-is-so-nazi-2016-8">Olympic torch relay was invented by the Nazis</a> as a way to spread German propaganda in 1936 when Berlin hosted the Olympic Games. The relay is also a hat tip to a similar race run in Athens in 80 BC.The 2024 relay started on May 8 in Marseille and will end in Paris.<h2 id="4ac90c0b-57f0-482f-9e14-f951667070fc">What sports are in the Olympics?</h2>Swimming and artistic gymnastics are among the best-known sports at the Olympic Games, but there are dozens that make the program each year.The 2024 Olympics will include 32 sports, with different disciplines within some of them. In contrast, the Winter Olympics feature just 15 sports, many of which are connected to ice or snow.<h3 id="656adc74-880d-4939-8e93-9fead25d29e8">Summer Olympics sports</h3><ul><li>Aquatics — Swimming, Marathon Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, and Artistic Swimming</li><li>Archery</li><li>Athletics</li><li>Badminton</li><li>Basketball — 3x3 and Basketball</li><li>Boxing</li><li>Breaking</li><li>Canoe — Canoe Sprint and Canoe Slalom</li><li>Cycling — BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Road Cycling, and Track Cycling</li><li>Equestrian — Equestrian Eventing, Equestrian Dressage, and Equestrian Jumping</li><li>Fencing</li><li>Football</li><li>Golf</li><li>Gymnastics — Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Trampoline Gymnastics</li><li>Handball</li><li>Hockey</li><li>Judo</li><li>Modern Pentathlon</li><li>Rowing</li><li>Rugby — Rugby Sevens</li><li>Sailing</li><li>Shooting</li><li>Skateboarding</li><li>Sport Climbing</li><li>Surfing</li><li>Table Tennis</li><li>Taekwondo</li><li>Tennis</li><li>Triathlon</li><li>Volleyball — Beach Volleyball and Volleyball</li><li>Weightlifting</li><li>Wrestling — Greco-Roman Wrestling and Freestyle Wrestling</li></ul><h3 id="8fd3c5b8-061c-41be-8809-1b08d3ff6c4f">Winter Olympics sports</h3><ul><li>Alpine Skiing</li><li>Biathlon</li><li>Bobsleigh</li><li>Cross-Country Skiing</li><li>Curling</li><li>Figure Skating</li><li>Freestyle Skiing</li><li>Ice Hockey</li><li>Luge</li><li>Nordic Combined</li><li>Short Track Speed Skating</li><li>Skeleton</li><li>Ski Jumping</li><li>Ski Mountaineering</li><li>Snowboard</li><li>Speed Skating</li></ul><h2 id="09dc4807-b8af-43cc-8423-912ac8e213e6">How do athletes get into the Olympics?</h2>Athletes must typically compete in significant international competitions and earn their Olympic spots. This process can be highly complex and can unfold over periods of months or years leading up to the Olympic Games.The IOC holds qualifying events to which National Olympic Committees send their athletes ahead of the main games, but the structure of those events varies by sport.Olympians also have to comply with the Olympic Charter to be eligible to compete in the Olympics, which prevents them from using performance-enhancing drugs.Many athletes view the Olympics as the ultimate venue for competition. They have turned athletes such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iconic-female-athletes-women-sports-2019-7">Simone Biles</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shaun-white-cries-final-run-snowboarding-career-beijing-olympics-2022-2">Shaun White,</a> who trained for years to compete, into household names. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-phelps">Michael Phelps</a> remains the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, 23 of which are golds.<div type="image" title="The swimmer Michael Phelps, wearing a red and blue zip-up with a &quot;United States Olympic Team&quot; logo, kisses a gold medal he won at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro." height="2831" width="4247" msid="111997947" hostid="261" sizebytes="634476"></div>The 2024 games in Paris will also feature some of the fastest athletes in the world, from sprinters like Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles, to swimmers like Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel.Olympic athletes vary in age. There is no official minimum age requirement for the Olympics, though some sports have minimum age requirements. For instance, the minimum age to compete in Olympic gymnastics is 16, while Olympic swimming has no minimum age requirement.The youngest athlete in the 2024 Olympics will be 11-year-old Zheng Haohao, a skateboarder from China. The youngest member of Team USA is 16-year-old gymnast Hezly Rivera, who will be competing alongside Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey.The oldest athlete in the 2024 Olympics will be 59-year-old Steffen Peters, a US equestrian team member.The youngest confirmed athlete in modern Olympic history was 10-year-old Dimitrios Loundras, who competed for Greece on the team parallel bars event in the 1896 games in Athens and won a bronze medal.The oldest athlete in modern Olympic history was 72-year-old Oscar Swahn, a shooter from Sweden who won six medals — including three gold — throughout his Olympic career in the early 20th century.<h2 id="530a94b8-f371-4303-87e4-b23c869e57e4">Where is the next Olympics?</h2>The Olympics change location each year they occur, with the host country investing billions of dollars in the event.The 2024 Summer Olympics will be in Paris, while the 2026 Winter Games will be in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics.The 2032 Games will take place in Brisbane, Australia, while the location of the 2030 Games has not been officially selected yet. However, in July, the IOC will vote on whether the French Alps and Salt Lake City should host the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics, respectively.<div type="image" title="The Eiffel Tower with Olympic rings on it in front of a blue sky." height="683" width="911" msid="111997942" hostid="261" sizebytes="86740"></div>Although hosting the Olympics is an honor, it doesn't appeal to every country, particularly because of how costly they are for the host. For instance, the Japanese public grew enraged when <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-olympics-tokyo-2020-summer-2021-2">cost estimates for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics</a> ballooned past $20 billion amid the pandemic. A Business Insider investigation found that the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-cost-of-beijing-games-10-times-chinas-reported-figure-2022-1">2022 Beijing Olympics cost China</a> upwards of $38.5 billion to host.Though the Olympics bring an influx of money to their host countries, the revenue doesn't always outweigh the cost. For instance, the IOC estimated that hosting the games could inject between $7.4 to $12.2 billion into the country's economy, but <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paris-olympics-costs-tickets-stadiums-2024-7">the 2024 Olympics has already cost France over $8.2 billion</a>.

The Olympics: A guide to summer and winter games and sports, Olympic history and symbols, and iconic athletes

Tokyo, Apr 7 (AFP) The Olympic flame will be removed from display in Japan, officials said Tuesday, as the country braces for a state of emergency due to the coronavirus that also forced the historic postponement of Tokyo 2020. It had been on public display in the northeastern Fukushima region since last week, but Japanese Olympic organisers decided to shelve it as coronavirus cases climb in the country. The ill-fated flame, lit in Greece, arrived in Japan on March 20 for a torch relay originally scheduled to start six days later and climax at the Olympics opening ceremony on July 24. But the raging pandemic prompted the first postponement of the Games in peace-time, with the opening ceremony now slated to take place on July 23, 2021. To keep the Olympic spirit alive in Japan, local organisers decided to maintain the flame in a lantern and display it in Fukushima, where the torch relay was going to start. "Originally we wanted to hold the public display until the end of April. But considering recent developments, we decided to stop," said a Tokyo 2020 organising committee spokesman. He declined to comment on where the flame will be stored, saying that organisers had no immediate plan to show it to the public and hoped to prevent people from congregating around the storage location. The flame has had a troubled journey due to the coronavirus since being lit in ancient Olympia without spectators to avoid spreading the disease. The Greek leg of the torch relay was scrapped when large crowds mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler as he lit a cauldron in the town of Sparta. The flame arrived to a muted welcome in northern Japan in front of a few dozen officials and guests, after plans to invite 200 schoolchildren were abandoned. It then attracted large crowds in Japan despite calls from organisers to avoid mass gatherings because of the virus. (AFP) ATKATK

Japan ends Olympic flame display due to virus

On August 1, 1936, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler opened the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. In doing so, he inaugurated what is now a famed ritual of a lone runner bearing a torch carried from the site of the ancient games in Olympia, Greece into the stadium."The sportive, knightly battle awakens the best human characteristics. It doesn't separate but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. It also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That's why the Olympic Flame should never die," he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/the-olympic-torch-relays_b_96648.html">reportedly said</a>.If that sounds like PR for the Nazi Party, that's because it was. The relay "was planned with immense care by the Nazi leadership to project the image of the Third Reich as a modern, economically dynamic state with growing international influence," <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7330949.stm">according to the BBC</a>. Or, in other words, Hitler wanted the games to impress foreigners visiting Germany.

The famed Olympic torch relay was actually created by the Nazis for propaganda

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Reuters/Alkis KonstantinidisGreek actress Katerina Lehou, playing the role of High Priestess, holds a torch during the dress rehearsal for the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece.</div></div></div>Here is what you need to know. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-news-sp-500-record-streak-decline-2017-10?r=UK&amp;IR=T">The stock market makes history</a>. On Monday, the S&amp;P 500 extended its streak without a 3% drawdown to 242 days, breaking the previous record set in 1996, according to LPL Financial's Ryan Detrick. <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/rates/u-s--rates-10-years">The 10-year is tests its highest level since May</a>. The benchmark yield is up 3 basis points at 2.40%, a level it hasn't closed at since May 10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-president-xi-jinping-most-powerful-ruler-since-mao-2017-10">Xi Jinping is officially China's most powerful leader since Mao</a>. President Xi Jinping's name was inscribed in China's constitution, the first time a living leader's name has been added since Mao Zedong's rule from 1935 until his death in 1976. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/global-steel-production-september-2017-10">Global steel production hits a 7-month low</a>. Total crude steel output fell to 141.46 million tonnes during September, pulling back from the record high of 144.8 million tonnes set in August, according to data released by the World Steel Association.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/online-will-exceed-in-store-sales-for-first-time-holiday-2017-10?r=UK&amp;IR=T">Online holiday shopping is projected to top in-store sales for the first time</a>. Shoppers are planning to spend 51% of their holiday budget online, compared to only 42% in stores, according to Deloitte's survey of more than 4,000 Americans.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/unicredit-accidentally-emails-q3-results-a-fortnight-early-2017-10?r=UK&amp;IR=T">Italy's biggest bank emailed out its earnings more than 2 weeks early</a>. The bank intended to publish its third-quarter results on November 8, but accidentally uploaded a table of historical figures with "hidden but accessible" figures to its website Monday afternoon. It then emailed the table to analysts and investors.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-monte-dei-paschi-shares-to-re-list-on-oct-25-2017-10?IR=T">The world's oldest bank will resume trading on Wednesday</a>. Shares of Italian lender Monte dei Paschi, which have not traded since the bank need a state rescue in December, will resume trading on Wednesday, October 25 after market regulators approved its relisting, Reuters says. <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/indices">The Nikkei's winning streak keeps going</a>. Japan's Nikkei climbed 0.5% to extend its winning streak to a 16th straight day. It has gained about 7% over that time. <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">Earnings reporting heats up</a>. 3M, Caterpillar, General Motors and McDonald's are among the names reporting ahead of the opening bell while AMD, AT&amp;T and Chipotle release their quarterly results after markets close.<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/economic-calendar">US economic data flows</a>. Markit manufacturing and services will both be released at 9:45 a.m. ET.

10 things you need to know before the opening bell

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Yannis BehrakisActress playing the role of ancient priestesses carry the flame during the dress rehearsal for the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece.</div></div></div>Good morning! Here's what you need to know.Crude prices fell early on Thursday. Concerns over a global glut took center stage after Russia and Iran said they were ready to raise oil production further, while inventories <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-crude-oil-prices-fall-as-major-producers-hint-at-output-hike-2016-4">in the United States climbed slightly.</a>Turkey cut interest rates. Turkey's central bank cut a key interest rate at the debut meeting of its new governor in a move aimed at reassuring skittish investors <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-turkey-central-bank-chief-makes-cautious-debut-with-rate-cut-2016-4">but that disappointed the government.</a>Spain's left got a boost. Spanish anti-austerity party Podemos opened the door to running on a joint platform with a former communist movement if a follow-up national election is called, in a bid to become the country's biggest <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-spains-podemos-considers-election-tie-up-with-rival-2016-4">leftwing political force.</a>The EU may object to a US merger. European Union antitrust regulators are set to warn US oil industry services group Halliburton Co that its plan to buy Baker Hughes<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-eu-regulators-set-to-warn-halliburton-on-baker-hughes-deal-sources-2016-4"> will hurt competition</a>France's right wing wants the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> out of the EU. France's far-right party leader Marine Le Pen is planning to travel to Britain <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-french-rightist-le-pen-to-head-to-uk-to-campaign-for-brexit-2016-4">to campaign for the country to leave the European Union, a party official said on Wednesday.</a>Europe is still struggling with Greece. Euro zone finance ministers are ready to hold an extraordinary meeting next week if negotiations on the review of the Greek reform program are concluded, a senior EU official said, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-euro-zone-ready-to-finalize-greek-deal-next-week-if-talks-succeed-2016-4">commenting that talks remained difficult.</a>The Daily Mail won't buy Yahoo. The parent of Britain's Daily Mail said that it had not submitted a bid to acquire Yahoo Inc's core Internet business, but it was in talks with others who could <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-daily-mail-says-has-not-submitted-bid-for-yahoos-internet-assets-2016-4">potentially be interested in an acquisition</a>.VW's diesel scandal will cost it more than it thought. Volkswagen will raise its provisions to pay for an emissions cheating scandal to a double digit billion euros amount, from 6.7 billion euros at present,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-vw-to-hike-dieselgate-provisions-to-double-digit-bln-amount-sources-2016-4"> two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.</a>The US is getting concerned about Brexit. US financial regulators are demanding regular updates from Wall Street banks about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-us-regulators-query-banks-on-their-brexit-contingency-plans---sources-2016-4">their contingency plans should Britain vote to leave the European Union.</a>The American housing market is buoyant. US home resales rebounded more than expected in March, suggesting the housing market recovery <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-existing-home-sales-rise-sharply-prices-advance-2016-4">remained intact despite signs that economic growth probably stalled in the first quarter.</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hamilton-makes-over-2-million-month-producer-jeffrey-seller-broadway-musical-theater-2016-4">Broadway's biggest hit 'Hamilton' is making over $2 million a month - here's why the producer thinks it could be making a lot more</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="hqaGdtMjE6TuOLd1QuJ1UzvqOkB9_J_a" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

10 things you need to know before European markets open

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Yannis BehrakisGreek actress Katerina Lehou , playing the role of High Priestess, lights a torch from the sun's rays reflected in a parabolic mirror during the dress rehearsal for the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece.</div></div></div>Hello! Here's what you need to know on Thursday.1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/jack-lew-heres-why-were-putting-harriet-tubman-on-the-20-bill-2016-4">The US $20 bill will now feature Harriet Tubman</a>. The noted abolitionist replaces president Andrew Jackson.2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/more-than-500-dead-in-ecuador-earthquake-2016-4">The death toll from the Ecuador earthquake now tops 500 people</a>. Another 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country before dawn on Wednesday.3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-venezuela-to-ration-electricity-in-10-states-2016-4">Venezuela is going to ration electricity in 10 of its most populous and industrialized states</a>, including Caracas.4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-heads-to-london-on-mission-to-persuade-uk-voters-to-stay-in-eu-2016-4">US President Barack Obama is flying to London Thursday</a>, to help persuade <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> voters to stay in the EU.5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-one-year-later-rebuilding-lags-in-quake-hit-nepal-aid-groups-2016-4">Almost a year after the deadly Nepal earthquake, roughly three million people still live in temporary shelters</a>. Aid groups are calling for reconstruction to be sped up.6. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nginx-raises-8-million-telstra-2016-4">Nginx - one of the most important startups you've never heard of - has raised $8 million</a>. 49.2% of the top 1,000 busiest websites in the world use Nginx.7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alphabet-q2-earnings-preview-google-2016-4">Google parent company Alphabet will report its Q1 earnings Thursday afternoon</a>. Last quarter, the company reported that it had lost $3.6 billion on moonshot projects that comprise its "Other Bets" businesses in 2015.8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/does-bacon-cause-cancer-2016-4">A new report again linked bacon and other processed meats to cancer</a>. The links are similar to those found in a previous report on colorectal cancer and processed meat.9. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-seeking-deeper-military-ties-with-afghanistan-2016-4">China wants to have deeper military ties with Afghanistan</a>, including counter-terrorism intelligence cooperation and joint drills.10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/2016-will-be-the-hottest-year-on-record-2016-4">2016 is already shaping up to be the hottest year on record</a>. This past March was the warmest month ever recorded.And finally ...<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-the-longest-reigning-monarch-2016-4">The Queen is 90 today: Here are the most important photos from every single year of her remarkable life</a>. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-economics-westeros-iron-throne-lannisters-2016-4">This hidden subplot of 'Game of Thrones' spells out the real trouble for the Lannisters</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tvNncydDrkw0Adz4yS0Vsg8DPK1cte-i" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Getty ImagesAdolf Hitler watching the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.</div></div></div>On August 1, 1936, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler opened the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. In doing so, he inaugurated what is now a famed ritual of a lone runner bearing a torch carried from the site of the ancient games in Olympia, Greece into the stadium."The sportive, knightly battle awakens the best human characteristics. It doesn't separate, but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. It also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That's why the Olympic Flame should never die," he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/the-olympic-torch-relays_b_96648.html">reportedly said</a>.If that sounds like PR for the Nazi Party, that's because it was.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">BundesarchivCrowds give the Nazi salute as Hitler enters the stadium.</div></div></div>The relay "was planned with immense care by the Nazi leadership to project the image of the Third Reich as a modern, economically dynamic state with growing international influence," <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7330949.stm">according to the BBC</a>.Or, in other words, Hitler wanted the games to impress foreigners visiting Germany.The organizer of the 1936 Games, Carl Diem, even based the relay off the one <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007451">Ancient Greeks did in 80 BC</a> in an attempt to connect the ancient Olympics to the present Nazi party. "The idea chimed perfectly with the Nazi belief that classical Greece was an Aryan forerunner of the modern German Reich," <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7330949.stm">according to the BBC</a>. "And the event blended perfectly the perversion of history with publicity for contemporary German power."And according to the <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007451" target="_blank">US Holocaust Memorial Museum</a>, Hitler's torch run, "perfectly suited Nazi propagandists, who used torch-lit parades and rallies to attract Germans, especially youth, to the Nazi movement."The torch itself was made by Krupp Industries, which was a major supplier of Nazi arms.Here's a view of one of the Olympic torch bearers:<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">National Archives and Records Administration</div></div></div>And here's a view of the last bearer ahead of lighting the Olympic flame:<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">National Archives and Records AdministrationThe last of the runners who carried the Olympic torch arriving in Berlin to light the Olympic Flame, marking the start of the 11th Summer Olympic Games. Berlin, Germany, August 1, 1936.</div></div></div>Unsurprisingly, the 1936 Olympic Games were not without controversy.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">WikimediaJesse Owens, who won four gold medals in Berlin - despite the racist ideology.</div></div></div>Despite Hitler's aforementioned pitch that "the sportive, knightly battle ... unites the combatants in understanding and respect," the Nazis tried to keep Jews and blacks from competing in the games.The official Nazi Party paper, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B6lkischer_Beobachter">Völkischer Beobachter</a>, even put out a statement saying that it was "a disgrace and degradation of the Olympic idea" that blacks and whites could compete together. "Blacks must be excluded. ... We demand it," it said, according to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hitlerland-American-Eyewitnesses-Nazi-Power/dp/1439191018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469723407&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Hitlerland%3A+American+Eyewitnesses+to+the+Nazi+Rise+to+Power&amp;tag=bisafetynet-20">Andrew Nagorski, who cited the article in his book "Hitlerland."</a>Various groups and activists in the US and other countries <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goebbels/peopleevents/e_olympics.html">pushed to boycott the games</a> in response. The Nazis eventually capitulated, saying that they would welcome "competitors of all races," but added that the make-up of the German team was up to the host country. (They added Helene Mayer, whose father was Jewish, as their "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/28/helene-mayer-nazi-germanys-jewish-champion-fencer">token Jew</a>" participant. She won the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/28/helene-mayer-nazi-germanys-jewish-champion-fencer">silver medal</a>.)During the games, Hitler reportedly cheered loudly for German winners, but showed poor sportsmanship when others won, including track and field star Jesse Owens (who won 4 gold medals) and other black American athletes. According to Nagorski, he also said: "It was unfair of the United States to send these flatfooted specimens to compete with the noble products of Germany. ... I am going to vote against Negro participation in the future."Ultimately, the most disconcerting thing about the 1936 Olympics is that the Nazis' propaganda push was actually effective on visitors and athletes - despite all the racism and anti-Semitism.William L. Shirer, an American journalist living in Berlin at the time, and later known for his book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Third-Reich-History/dp/1451651686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1470068999&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=rise+and+fall+of+the+third+reich">The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich</a>," noted his disappointment with the fact that tourists responded positively to the whole affair. And according to Nagorski, an older American woman even managed to kiss Hitler on the cheek when he visited the swimming stadium.But perhaps the most chilling line cited by Nagorski came from Rudi Josten, a German staffer in the AP bureau who wrote: "Everything was free and all dance halls were reopened. ... They played American music and whatnot. Anyway, everybody thought: 'Well, so Hitler can't be so bad.'"World War II officially started a little over three years later in 1939.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hitlerland-American-Eyewitnesses-Nazi-Power/dp/1439191018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469723407&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Hitlerland%3A+American+Eyewitnesses+to+the+Nazi+Rise+to+Power&amp;tag=bisafetynet-20">Check out "Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power" by Andrew Nagorski here</a>. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ww2-rare-color-footage-2016-3">Rare color film shows what it was like for Marines during WWII, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="V0dWdkMDE6LixZY8l3IEJUyzvw1TucKn" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

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