Olympic opening ceremony 'most inspiring' 2012 television moment

Fireworks light up the sky above Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics last night in London (Getty Images)

Danny Boyle's triumphant Olympic opening ceremony has been hailed as one of the most inspiring TV moments of all time second only to the moon landing, according to an audience survey.

More than 23 million people watched the opening ceremony, which featured a diverse cast including James Bond star Daniel Craig and JK Rowling, and merged music, dance and special effects into a spectacular opening.

It picked up 13% of votes in the poll putting it ahead of the fall of the Berlin Wall (8%) and Nelson Mandela's release from prison (5%).

Only the 1969 lunar landing, famed for Neil Armstrong's words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", picked up more votes (14%).

The survey, commissioned by Samsung for its forthcoming Future of TV report, found the London 2012 Games were the most inspiring TV event of the year with 31% of the vote.

The paralympics were in second place with 12% of the vote and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee won 7%.

The Great British Bake Off, which was credited with a surge in cake-making across the country, won 4% of the votes polled.

A Samsung spokeswoman said: "TV has let us enjoy the best moments of 2012 on the biggest, brightest screen in our home."

PA