Now, that's an entrance! Soccer stud David Beckham drive a speedboat carrying the Olympic flame.
The only thing better than speedboats? Jet packs and David Bowie music!
Prince William and Kate Middleton do the host country proud.
The opening ceremony's director, Oscar winner Danny Boyle, greets the world.
Rowan Atkinson brings his Mr. Bean charm to the ceremony.
Yes, even the Harry Potter's Dark Lord Voldemort gets to appear at the games.
This opening ceremony will make you flip, all right.
It's the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins! Not exactly, a performer climbs a chimney stack representing the Age of Industry.
We spoke too soon: Here's a bunch of Mary Poppinses!
As much as we wish this dance with a giany orb is a tribute to the '60s British spy series The Prisoner, we don't think it is.
Dancers perform under a "setting sun" in a scene dramatising the struggle between life and death.
More performance awesomeness.
An image of triple jumper Jonathan Edwards is projected onto the House of Parliament and Big Ben.
Ooh, the Olympic rings float above artists performing. Hogwarts magic, mayhaps?
Yeah, the Olympic Stadium looks pretty cool from above.
The games' cauldron was lit by a team of Britain's young athletes.
Of course, no opening ceremony is complete without fireworks. Let the games begin!