Though the Olympic flame has ancient roots, the relay itself is a relatively modern affair. "There wasn't a torch relay, in the way that we know it, for the ancient games (though) there might have been an altar burning," said sports historian and author of "The Story of the Olympic Torch," Philip Barker, in a video interview. In fact, this symbol of international unity was in fact born out of nationalism -- it took place in Nazi Germany during the 1936 Summer Games. Conceived by the Berlin Olympics' chief organizer Carl Diem, the first relay traveled over land from Olympia to the German capital via Athens, Sofia, Belgrade, Budapest, Vienna and Prague. Over the course of 12 days, the torch was passed along, hand by hand, for almost 2,000 miles.