With roots born out of ancient Greece's strong connection between fire and the gods, the modern Olympic flame goes back to 1928. Eight years later, the first relay originated from Olympia to the site of the Opening Ceremonies. Take a look at the current torch, follow the day-by-day path of the relay and trace the tradition of Olympic fire from its early beginnings through July 27 - the night a London cauldron will finally be lit and the Games of the 30th Olympiad will officially get underway.

All told, there will be 30 venues used at the London Games, from Portland's sailing waters at the southern tip of the UK to Scotland's national soccer stadium up in Glasgow. The heart of the action, however, is in the host city, where the new Olympic Park is home to eight fresh competition venues, and another 13 are set inside London's borders. Find out where each venue is, what it's hosting and get some background on how the infrastructure to host an event of such daunting scope was built up.

In the late 19th century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin had a bold idea: revive the long-gone Olympics of ancient Greece. In 1896, his dream came true, and the first modern Games were born. Modest beginnings - nine sports, 245 men, 14 nations - ultimately led to the 26-sport, 10,000-competitor, 200-country event that will be on display in London this summer. From the cities to the legends to the medals, take a tour of what has turned the Summer Games into the global spectacle they are today.