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London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics gets off the ground on 18 June 2003 as American Barbara Cassani takes charge

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Cassani and her team build London's bid around plans for a 500-acre Olympic Park at Stratford in the east of the city

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On 16 January 2004, Prime Minister Tony Blair launches London's official bid at the Royal Opera House

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London survives the initial cut in May 2004, but it ranks third of the five candidate cities and Lord Coe replaces Cassani

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England football captain David Beckham does his bit for the bid by tackling a crossword in the promotional film

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On 15 November 2004, 14-year-old Amber Charles delivers London's bid file to the International Olympic Committee

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There is no turning back now as London's rivals Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow also submit their plans to the IOC

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London's publicity machine goes into overdrive, and opinion polls show public support for the bid is starting to grow

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Bid flags and banners go up across the city as London braces itself for the IOC evaluation commission visit in February

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The English weather intervenes, but Nawal El Moutawakel and her team get a comprehensive rundown on London's plans

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The highlight of the visit is a lavish dinner with the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace

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The bid continues to get maximum exposure as long jumper Jade Johnson models this cheeky outfit in Birmingham

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And Lord Coe clocks up the air miles as he goes head-to-head with his rivals in places like Dubrovnik, Brisbane and Berlin

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The UK's newspaper picture editors team up to produce an image to mark the 50-day countdown to the final IOC vote

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There is a major boost when Blair says he will spend two days in Singapore lobbying for London before the vote on 6 July

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London bid leader Lord Coe arrives at the Raffles Hotel to hear if all his hard work has paid off

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Following the presentation, members of London's bid team face an agonising wait before the winner is announced

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The news is good as London holds off the challenge of Paris to be named host city of the 2012 Olympic Games