It was on this day in 2008 that the closing ceremonies were held for the Beijing  Olympics.  They were held at the Beijing National Stadium and included the handover of the Games from Beijing to London.

The host country, China, ran away with the gold medal count, winning a total of 51 – 15 more than the United States, who finished with 36.  However, it was the Americans who won the most total medals, with 110 to China’s even 100.  American Michael Phelps won a total of eight gold medals on his own, setting a new Olympic record for most golds at one Olympic Games.  Phelps’ performance is still considered one of the greatest in Olympics history.

The closing ceremonies were highlighted by performances from Jimmy Page and recording artist Leona Lewis.  England’s David Beckham was also in attendance and was featured as part of the London Organizing Committee  for the Olympic Games presentation.

Here are some pics from the closing ceremonies

Notable Birthdays

Cal Ripken Jr., MLB – Born August 24th 1960 (age 52) in Havre de Grace, Maryland

Reggie Miller, NBA – Born August 24th 1965 (age 47) in Riverside, California

Tim Salmon, MLB – Born August 24th 1968 (age 44) in Long Beach, California