The first truly global Olympic torch relay was announced Wednesday at the Athens organizing committee in the presence of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge.

The Olympic flame will be lit in ancient Olympia on March 25 and remain in Greece until its journey begins June 4. The torch will pass for the first time through all five main continents.

It will be relayed from Melbourne, Australia, to Tokyo, which hosted the 1964 Olympics, on June 6 and will remain for one day in Japan before being carried to Seoul.