All Together Now

The Melbourne Olympics officially ended on this day in 1956, and the closing ceremony was one that would change all closing ceremonies to follow. Prior to Melbourne, athletes marched by nation in the closing ceremony, just as they did in the opening ceremony. But after the widespread tensions at the Games due to recent world events, namely the Suez Crisis and the Soviets crushing of the Hungarian Revolution (which led to the infamous Blood in the Water match), a young Australian named John Ian Wang suggested that all the athletes enter the stadium together to symbolize their unity. They did so, and have done so ever afterward. Wang subsequently disappeared entirely, and when the Olympics returned to Australia in 2000, a search went out for him. He was found running a Chinese restaurant in Bucharest (good Chinese food in Bucharest, I hear). He was honored at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Games.