London rang in the New Year 2013 with a bang, as a quarter million people lined up along the Thames to view the fireworks display. Many more viewed the event from home on their televisions.
Sky News reports that great weather preceded the event, and revelers celebrated a year topped off by a successful Olympics:
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who organised the event, said: "Our New Year's Eve fireworks will cap a triumphant year for London."
London was host to the Olympic Games this year. According to the BBC, more than 150 Team London Ambassadors were working for the New Years celebration following their work in the 2012 Olympics. They handed out maps, guided people, and helped people to get home safely.
Reuters' recap of the Olympics for the year end was as follows:
Sporting news was dominated by the London Olympics during the summer, where the opening ceremony included a vignette of Queen Elizabeth being escorted by James Bond before apparently skydiving into the Olympic stadium for her arrival.
"Good evening Mr. Bond," was her only line.
Olympic embarrassments were few, but they began early with organisers forced into apologies for displaying the South Korean flag on a video screen for North Korea's women's soccer team.
British cycling sensation Bradley "the Modfather" Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, sparking a craze among fans for cutout cardboard sideburns modelled on his own and shouting "here Wiggo" as he raced to Olympic gold.
London's eccentric and loquacious Mayor Boris Johnson fell rather awkwardly silent when he got stuck dangling from a zip wire, waving two Union flags in drizzling rain.
