72 NOCs (Nations)
3 314 athletes (376 women, 2 938 men)
145 events

Melbourne 22 November 1956. Opening Ceremony. The Olympic flame is lit.

Official opening of the Games by: HRH the Duke of Edinburgh

Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Ron Clarke (athletics)

Olympic Oath by: John Landy (athletics)

Official Oath by: The first officials' oath was sworn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

The golden gril: Elizabeth "Betty" Cuthbert (AUS-athletics) won two gold medals in the individual track sprints (100 and 200m) and a third in the 4x100m relay. The 18-year-old was instantly acclaimed as a national heroine by the home Australian crowd, and was nicknamed the "Golden Girl." [Full story]

For the only time in history the Games of the Olympiad were contested in two different countries. The IOC scored a political coup by persuading West and East Germany to enter a combined team. [Full story]

　　 In Oceania: The first time that the Games were held in Oceania. [Full story]