World Stage: An Olympic Introduction to the Greatest of All Time
This Official Opening Ceremony Program was donated to the Muhammad Ali Center by John Dyrud in 2011.
Opening Ceremony Program
On August 25, 1960, the Rome Olympic Games were opened by Italy's president, Giovanni Gronchi. Both the opening and closing ceremonies were hosted at the Stadio Olimpico, which boasted a capacity of 65,000.
A significant part of the opening ceremony was the return to the Olympic anthem. It was sung only once, at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens. In 1960, they chose to use this original anthem and it continues to be the official anthem for the Olympics to this day. The anthem can be seen in this image, which was printed in the Official Opening Ceremony Program.
Official 1960 Olympic Opening Ceremony Program, August 25, 1960
