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Page last updated at 07:32 GMT, Friday, 8 August 2008 08:32 UK

Opening ceremony: LA's rocketman
The opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum

Never ones for understatement, the Americans went to town to open the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was held in the same stadium as the 1932 Games.

It started in spectacular fashion when a man with a jetpack strapped to his back flew onto the stadium floor before balloons carrying the word 'welcome' in the language of the 140 nations present were released into the sky.

The spectators all raised a card left under their seat to stunning effect to reveal the national flags of all the competing nations.

And 1960 decathlon champion Rafer Johnson ascended a moving staircase to light the flame through the Olympic rings.

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