After decades of planning. After years of delays and immeasureable amounts of patience and hard work. The physics operations of the LHC has begun!

At approximately 12:58 am CEST, ATLAS saw its first events. Event 316199 of Run 152166 shown here has been dubbed "The First 7 TeV Collision of ATLAS". After hours of patient waiting, the control room errupted with cheers of joy. Two floors up in the satelitte data quality control room, the event scanning team was furiously scanning events by eye to search for first events. This had to be one of the most caotic, stressful, and fun moments of the entire day at Point-1. Markus Elsing and his team just shouting at each other making split second decisions as everyone searched for that golden event! Then it happened. They found it. Markus then sprinted downstairs, and into the control room. He then revealed it to everyone in his own charming fashion.

So now that we have first collisions, it is time for the physics to begin!