The European flag was officially adopted in 1985 by decision of the leaders of the ten member states of the then European Economic Community (EEC). It was based on a design selected in 1955 by another European organization, the Council of Europe, for its own use. The flag consists of twelve golden stars arranged in a circle on a blue background. The stars symbolize the ideals of solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe, while the circle represents unity. The number of stars is not related to the number of member states; rather, the number twelve traditionally represents completeness and perfection. Spyros Louis (1873–1940), a water carrier from Maroussi, a suburb of Athens, won the first Olympic Marathon when the Olympic Games were revived in Athens in 1896. His triumphant entry into the Panathenaic Stadium was cheered by 80,000 spectators. Dimitri Mitropoulos (1896–1960) was an important composer, pianist, and one of the leading orchestra conductors of the 20th century. His long tenure as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic and his worldwide recognition established him as one of the most distinguished artistic figures of modern Greece.