London, the capital of the United Kingdom, has a recorded history that goes back over 2,000 years. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located During this time, it has grown to become one of the financial and cultural capitals of the world. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic "The world " is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an Anthropocentric or Human Worldview, as a place It has also experienced plague, devastating fire, civil war, aerial bombardment and terrorist attacks, . The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia This article is about the Great Fire of 1666 For other great fires in London see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. The 7 July 2005 London bombings (also called the 7/7 bombings) were a series of coordinated bomb blasts that hit London's public transport system during See City of London for details on the historic core of London. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically
Etymology
The etymology of London is virtually unknown. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. The Etymology of London is virtually unknown There have been many theories advanced over the centuries for the origin of the name most can be dismissed as fanciful There have been many theories advanced over the centuries for the origin of the name: most can be dismissed as fanciful on linguistic or historical grounds, while a few have some measure of academic plausibility. None have any direct evidence.
Legendary foundations and prehistoric London
According to the legendary Historia Regum Britanniae, of Geoffrey of Monmouth, London was founded by Brutus of Troy after he defeated the incumbent giants Gog and Magog and was known as Caer Troia, Troia Nova, or New Troy, which, according to a pseudo-etymology, was corrupted to Trinovantum. A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to The Historia Regum Britanniae ( English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c Brutus ( Brut, Brute, Welsh Bryttys) a legendary descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas, was known in medieval British legend The tradition of Gog and Magog ( Hebrew גוג ומגוג Arabic يأجوج و مأجوج begins in the Hebrew Bible with the reference to Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or (In reality the Trinovantes were the Iron Age tribe who inhabited the area prior to the Romans). The Trinovantes or Trinobantes were one of the Celtic Tribes that lived in pre- Roman Britain. Geoffrey provides prehistoric London with a rich array of legendary kings, such as King Lud who, he claims, renamed the town CaerLudein, from which London was derived, and was buried at Ludgate. Lud, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth 's legendary History of the Kings of Britain and related medieval texts was a king of Britain in pre- Ludgate was the westernmost gate in London Wall. The name survives in Ludgate Hill, an eastward continuation of Fleet Street, and Ludgate Circus
However, despite intensive excavations, archaeologists have found no evidence of a prehistoric major settlement in the area. There have been scattered prehistoric finds, evidence of farming, burial and traces of habitation, but nothing more substantial. It is now considered unlikely that a pre-Roman city existed, but as some of the Roman city remains unexcavated, it is still just possible that some settlement may have yet to be discovered.
So, during prehistoric times, London was most likely a rural area with scattered settlement. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Rich finds such as the Battersea Shield, found in the Thames near Chelsea, suggest the area was important; there may have been important settlements at Egham and Brentford, and there was a hillfort at Uppall, but no city in the area of the Roman London, the present day City of London. The Battersea Shield is a sheet Bronze Shield. It probably dates from the first century BC to early first century AD though an earlier date is possible The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Egham is a small town in the Runnymede borough of Surrey, in the south-east of England. Brentford is a suburb in the London Borough of Hounslow at the Confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent in West London A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement
Numerous finds[1] have been made of spear heads and weaponry from the Bronze and Iron ages near the banks of the Thames in the London area, many of which had clearly been used in battle. This is an article about a particle accelerator For uses of spear, see Spear or Spear (disambiguation. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. This suggests that the Thames was an important tribal boundary.
In 2002 a dig for the Channel 4 series Time Team unearthed a series of timbers driven vertically into the ground on the south bank of the Thames next to the SIS Building in Vauxhall which suggests the presence of a bridge or jetty 3,000 years ago. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Time Team is a British television series that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994 The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. The SIS Building, also commonly known as the MI6 Building, is the headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service (otherwise known as "MI6" Vauxhall is an inner city area of South London in the London Borough of Lambeth. [2]
Roman London
Londinium was established as a civilian town by the Romans about seven years after the invasion of AD 43. This article covers the history of London during the Roman period from around 47 AD when the Roman city of Londinium was founded The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt. Early Roman London occupied a relatively small area, roughly equivalent in size to Hyde Park. In around AD 60, it was sacked by the Iceni led by their queen Boudica. The Iceni or Eceni were a Brythonic Tribe who inhabited an area of Britain corresponding roughly to the modern-day county of Norfolk Boudica (also spelled Boudicca, formerly known as Boadicea, and known in Welsh culture and legends as "Buddug" (d However, the city was quickly rebuilt as a planned Roman town and recovered after perhaps 10 years, the city growing rapidly over the following decades. During the 2nd century Londinium was at its height and replaced Colchester as the capital of Roman Britain (Britannia). Camulodunum is the Roman name for the ancient settlement which is today's Colchester, a town in Essex, England. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Its population was around 60,000 inhabitants. It boasted major public buildings, including the largest basilica north of the Alps, a governor's palace, temples, bath houses, amphitheatre and a large fort for the city garrison. The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman Fanum At the temples Romans prayed and made Ritual Worship Offerings of a small gift or Animal sacrifices to their Roman This page is on buildings used for Roman bathing For the activity in general see Ancient Roman bathing. An amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is an open-air venue for spectator sports concerts rallies or theatrical performances Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for Political instability and recession from the 3rd century onwards, however, led to a slow decline.
At some time between 190 and 225 AD the Romans built the defensive London Wall - around the landward side of the city. London Wall was the Defensive wall built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in England The wall was about 3 kilometres (2 miles) long, 6 metres (20 ft) high, and 2. 5 metres (8 ft) thick.
In the late 3rd century, Londinium was raided on several occasions by Saxon pirates. This led, from around 255 onwards to the construction of an additional riverside wall. The wall would survive for another 1,600 years and define London's perimeters for centuries to come. Six of the traditional seven city gates of London are of Roman origin, namely: Ludgate, Newgate, Aldersgate, Cripplegate, Bishopsgate and Aldgate (Moorgate is the exception, being of medieval origin). Ludgate was the westernmost gate in London Wall. The name survives in Ludgate Hill, an eastward continuation of Fleet Street, and Ludgate Circus Newgate was a Gate in the west of London Wall round the City of London. Aldersgate was a gate in the London Wall in the City of London, which has given its name to a ward and Aldersgate Street a road leading north from the Cripplegate was a City gate in London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate See Bishopsgate Insurance for the Australian insurance company bankrupted in 1982 Aldgate was the easternmost gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the East End. Moorgate was a Postern in the London Wall originally built by the Romans
By the 5th century the Roman Empire was in rapid decline, and in 410 AD the Roman occupation of Britain came to an end. Following this, the Roman city went into rapid decline and by the end of the century had been practically abandoned.
Anglo-Saxon London
Following the virtual abandonment of the Roman city, the area's strategic location on the River Thames meant that the site was not deserted for long. This article deals with the history of London during the Anglo-Saxon period from the ending of the Roman period in the 5th century to the From the 6th century, Anglo-Saxons began to inhabit the area. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south
Although early Anglo-Saxon settlement avoided the area immediately around Londinium, there was occupation on a small scale of much of the hinterland on both sides of the river. There is no contemporary literary evidence, but the area must for some time have been an active frontier between Saxons and Britons. From the mid-6th century, the London area was incorporated into the East Saxons kingdom, which extended as far west as St Albans and included all of later Middlesex, and probably Surrey, too, for a time. The Kingdom of Essex ( Est Seaxna "East Saxons" was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. In 604 Saeberht of the East Saxons converted to Christianity and London received Mellitus, its first post-Roman bishop. Saebert (or Sebert or Sabert) (d c 616 was a King of Essex (c Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Saint Mellitus (died 24 April 624 was the first Bishop of London and the third Archbishop of Canterbury. At this time Essex owed allegiance to the Bretwalda Æthelberht of Kent, and it was under Æthelberht that Mellitus founded the first St. Paul's Cathedral, traditionally said to be on the site of an old Roman Temple of Diana (although Christopher Wren found no evidence of this). Bretwalda, also Brytenwalda, Bretenanwealda, is an Anglo-Saxon term the first record of which comes from the late ninth century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Æthelberht (also Æthelbert, Aethelberht, Aethelbert, or Ethelbert) (c St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. Sir Christopher Wren ( 20 October 1632 &ndash 25 February 1723) was a 17th century English Designer, Astronomer This would have only been a modest church at first and may well have been destroyed after he was expelled from the city by Saeberht's pagan successors. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world
Later in the 7th century a Saxon village and trading centre named Lundenwic ("London settlement")[3] was established approximately one mile to the west of Londinium. The new town came under direct Mercian control in c. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. 730 as the East Saxon kingdom of which it had once been part was gradually reduced in size and status. Mercian lordship was replaced by that of Wessex after 825. West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation.
Viking attacks dominated most of the 9th century, and such attacks became increasingly common from around 830 onwards. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas There were attacks on London in 842 and 851. In 865 the Viking "Great Heathen Army" launched a large scale invasion of East Anglia, and by 871 they had reached London, and are believed to have camped within the old Roman walls during the winter of that year. The " Great Heathen Army " also known as the Great Army or the Great Danish Army, was a Viking Army originating in Denmark East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. Although it is unclear what happened during this time, London may have come under Viking control for a period. In 878 however, English forces led by King Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington and forced the Viking leader Guthrum to sue for peace. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c The Battle of Edington (May 878) was a Battle which took place near Edington (then known as "Ethandun" in the county of Wiltshire Guthrum (died c 890 christened Æthelstan, was king of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw. English rule in London was restored and within ten years settlement within the old Roman walls was re-established to improve defences, but known as Lundenburgh. The Roman walls were repaired and the defensive ditch re-cut. As the focus of the city was moved back to within the old Roman walls, the older settlement of Lundenwic gained the name of ealdwic or "old settlement". The name survives today as Aldwych. Aldwych ('ɔːldwɪtʃ is a place and road in the City of Westminster in London, England.
Alfred appointed his son-in-law Æthelred, who was the heir to the destroyed Kingdom of Mercia, as Governor of London and established two defended Boroughs to defend the bridge which was probably rebuilt at this time. Ealdorman Æthelred (died 911 was a ruler of Mercia (c 883 &ndash 911 A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice The southern end of the Bridge was established as the Borough of Southwark or Suthringa Geworc (defensive work of the men of Surrey) as it was originally known. Southwark or The Borough is an area of south-east London in the London Borough of Southwark, situated 1 Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. From this point, the City of London began to develop its own unique local government.
After Aethelred's death, London came under the direct control of English kings. By the early 10th century London had become an important commercial centre. Although the capital of the Kingdom of England was in Winchester, London became increasingly important as a political centre. The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre King Aethelstan held many Royal Councils in London and issued laws from there. King Aethelred the Unready favoured London as his capital and issued the Laws of London there in 978. Ethelred II ( c. 968 – 23 April 1016 also known as Æthelred II, Aethelred II, Ethelred the Unready, Æthelred the Unready
It was during the reign of Aethelred that Viking raids began again, led by King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. Sweyn I Forkbeard, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in English Sven the Dane, also known as Swegen and Tuck, ( Old Norse The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe London was unsuccessfully attacked in 994, but numerous raids followed. By 1013 London was being besieged and Aethered fled abroad. King Sven died but his son Canute continued the attacks and eventually overran the city. } Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut ( Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian
A Norse saga tells of a battle during the Viking occupation where Aethelred returned to attack Viking-occupied London. According to the sage, the Danes lined London Bridge and showered the attackers with spears. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. Undaunted, the attackers pulled the roofs off nearby houses and held them over their heads in the boats. Thus protected, they were able to get close enough to the bridge to attach ropes to the piers and pull the bridge down, thus ending the Viking occupation of London. There is some speculation that the nursery rhyme "London Bridge is falling down" stems from this incident.
The Vikings however returned and Aethelred's son Edmund Ironside initially managed to hold back the invaders. Edmund Ironside or Eadmund (c 988/993 – 30 November 1016 surnamed " Ironside " for his efforts to fend off the Danish invasion However, he was eventually forced to share power with Canute. When Edmund died Canute became the sole King of England. After two short lived Danish kings, the Anglo-Saxon line was restored when Canute's stepson Edward the Confessor took up the throne in 1042. King Edward the Confessor (c 1003 &ndash 5 January 1066 son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last
Following Edward's death, no clear heir was apparent, and his cousin, Duke William of Normandy, claimed the throne. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages The Royal Council, however, met in the city and elected the dead King's brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson as King. Harold Godwinson, (c 1022 &ndash 14 October 1066 also known as Harold II, is widely regarded as the last Anglo-Saxon King of England before the He was crowned in Westminster Abbey. William, outraged by this, then sent an army to invade England.
Norman and Medieval London
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The Norman invasion of Britain in 1066 is usually considered to be the beginning of the Medieval period. William, Duke of Normandy, killed English king Harold Godwinson in the Battle of Hastings. William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages Duke of Normandy is a Title held or claimed by various Norman, French, English and British rulers from the 10th century until the Harold Godwinson, (c 1022 &ndash 14 October 1066 also known as Harold II, is widely regarded as the last Anglo-Saxon King of England before the The Battle of Hastings was the decisive Norman victory in the Norman Conquest of England. Although he burnt down Southwark, south of the bridge, he avoided London, instead waiting to the north-west at Berkhamsted until the city officials in London recognised him as King. Southwark or The Borough is an area of south-east London in the London Borough of Southwark, situated 1 Berkhamsted is a historic town of some 19000 people It is situated in the west of Hertfordshire, between the towns of Tring and Hemel Hempstead. They quickly did so, and William responded by granting the city a formal charter.
Under William (now known as William the Conqueror) several royal forts were constructed along the riverfront of London (the Tower of London, Baynard's Castle and Montfichet's Castle) to defend against seaborne attacks by Vikings and prevent rebellions. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London Baynard's Castle in London was at various times a Castle, house and Palace. The last known fortress of London was called the Montfichet's Castle. Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance William the Conqueror also granted a charter in 1067 upholding previous Saxon rights, privileges and laws. A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified Its growing self-government became firm with election rights granted by King John in 1199 and 1215. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death
In 1097 William Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror began the construction of 'Westminster Hall'. William II (c 1056 &ndash 2 August 1100) the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror was King of England from 1087 The hall was to become the basis of the Palace of Westminster which, throughout the Medieval period, was the prime royal residence.
In 1176 construction began of the most famous incarnation of London Bridge (completed in 1209) which was built on the site of several earlier wooden bridges. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. This bridge would last for 600 years, and remained the only bridge across the River Thames until 1739. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England.
May 1216 saw the last time that London was truly occupied by a continental armed force, during the First Barons' War. The First Barons' War ( 1215 &ndash 1217) was a combination of a Civil war in the Kingdom of England between on the one hand the forces of This was when the young Louis VIII of France marched through the streets to St Paul's Cathedral. Louis VIII the Lion ( 5 September 1187 – 8 November 1226) reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226 Throughout the city and in the cathedral he was celebrated as the new ruler.
It was expected that this would free the English from the tyranny of King John. This was only temporarily true. The barons supporting the 29-year old French prince decided to throw their support back to an English king when John died. Over the next several hundred years, London would shake off the heavy French cultural and linguistic influence which had been there since the times of the Norman conquest. The city, like Dover, would figure heavily into the development of Early Modern English. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. Early Modern English is the stage of the English language used from about the end of the Middle English period (the latter half of the 15th century to 1650
During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 led by Wat Tyler, London was invaded. Walter Tyler, commonly known as Wat Tyler ( January 4, 1341 – June 15, 1381) was the leader of the English Peasants' A group of peasants stormed the Tower of London and executed the Lord Chancellor, Archbishop Simon Sudbury, and the Lord Treasurer. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. Simon Theobald or Simon of Sudbury (died 14 June 1381 was an Archbishop of Canterbury (1375&ndash1381 as well as Bishop of London. The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer is an old English (after 1707, British) government position The peasants looted the city and set fire to numerous buildings. Tyler was stabbed to death by the Lord Mayor William Walworth in a confrontation at Smithfield, thus ending the revolt. Sir William Walworth (d 1385 Lord Mayor of London, came from a Durham family Smithfield (also known as West Smithfield) is an area in the north-west part of the City of London, mostly known for its centuries-old meat market and its bloody history
During the medieval period London grew up in two different parts. The nearby up-river town of Westminster became the Royal capital and centre of government, whereas the City of London became the centre of commerce and trade. Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or The area between them became entirely urbanised by 1600. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing
Trade and commerce grew steadily during the Middle Ages, and London grew rapidly as a result. In 1100 London's population was little more than 15,000. By 1300 it had grown to roughly 80,000. Trade in London was organised into various guilds, which effectively controlled the city, and elected the Lord Mayor of the City of London. A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of (and head of the City of London Corporation.
Medieval London was made up of narrow and twisting streets, and most of the buildings were made from combustible materials such as wood and straw, which made fire a constant threat. Sanitation in London was poor. London lost at least half of its population during the Black Death in the mid-14th century. Between 1348 and the Great Plague of 1666 there were sixteen outbreaks of plague in the city. The Great Plague (1665-1666 was a massive outbreak of Disease in England that killed 75000 to 100000 people up to a fifth of London 's population Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as
Tudor London (1485-1603)
The Tudor period from 1485 until 1603 was a dramatic period of English history. Social and economic revolution Following the Black Death Plagues and the agricultural depression of the late 14th century population growth Three of the monarchs of the Tudor dynasty (Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) played important roles in transforming England from a comparatively weak European backwater into a powerful state that in the coming centuries would dominate much of the world. The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was an English royal Dynasty that lasted 118 years from 1485 to 1603 a period known as the Tudor period Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The period saw the end of the War of the Roses the English Reformation and the Elizabethan era. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope Romance and reality The Victorian era and the early twentieth century idealised the Elizabethan era
The Reformation produced little bloodshed in London, with most of the higher classes co-operating to bring about a gradual shift to Protestantism. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Before the Reformation, more than half of the area of London was occupied by monasteries, nunneries and other religious houses, and about a third of the inhabitants were monks, nuns and friars. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or Thus Henry VIII’s “Dissolution of the Monasteries” had a profound effect on the city as nearly all of this property changed hands. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded The process started in the mid 1530s, and by 1538 most of the larger houses had been abolished. Holy Trinity Aldgate went to Lord Audley, and the Marquess of Winchester built himself a house in part of its precincts. The Charterhouse went to Lord North, Blackfriars to Lord Cobham, the leper hospital of St Giles to Lord Dudley, while the king took for himself the leper hospital of St James, which was rebuilt as St James's Palace. St James's Palace is one of London's oldest Palaces It is situated on Pall Mall in London, just north of St [4]
The period saw London was rapidly rising in importance amongst Europe’s commercial centres, its many small industries were booming, especially weaving. Trade expanded beyond Western Europe to Russia, the Levant, and the Americas. This was the period of mercantilism and monopoly trading companies such as the Russia Company (1555) and the British East India Company (1600) were established in London by Royal Charter. Mercantilism is the idea that a colony should export more goods than it imports and that a colony should sell at higher prices and buy at lower prices The Muscovy Company (also called Russian Company or Muscovy Trading Company, Russian: Московская компания) was a The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or The latter, which ultimately came to rule much of India, was one of the key institutions in London, and in Britain as a whole, for two and a half centuries. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In 1572 the Spanish destroyed the great commercial city of Antwerp, giving London first place among the North Sea ports. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Immigrants arrived in London not just from all over England and Wales, but from abroad as well, for example Huguenots from France; the population rose from an estimated 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605. [4] The growth of the population and wealth of London was fuelled by a vast expansion in the use of coastal shipping to import coal from Newcastle. The Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne were a Cartel of businessmen who formed a monopoly to control the export of Coal from the River Tyne in
The late 16th century, when William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived and worked in London, was one of the most lustrous periods in the city’s cultural history. William Shakespeare ( baptised There was considerable hostility to the development of the theatre however. English Renaissance theatre is English drama written between the Reformation and the closure of the theatres in 1642. Public entertainments produced crowds, and crowds were feared by the authorities because they might become mobs, and by many ordinary citizens who dreaded that large gatherings might contribute to the spread of plague. Theatre itself was discountenanced by the increasingly influential Puritan strand in the nation. A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of Worship and Doctrine, However, Queen Elizabeth loved plays, which were performed for her privately at Court, and approved of public performances.
During the mostly calm later years of Elizabeth's reign, some of her courtiers and some of the wealthier citizens of London built themselves country residences in Middlesex, Essex and Surrey. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. This was an early stirring of the villa movement, the taste for residences which were neither of the city nor on an agricultural estate, but when the last of the Tudors died in 1603, London was still very compact.
Stuart London (1603–1714)
London's expansion beyond the boundaries of the City was decisively established in the 17th century. In the opening years of that century the immediate environs of the City, with the principal exception of the aristocratic residences in the direction of Westminster, were still considered insalubrious. Immediately to the north was Moorfields, which had recently been drained and laid out in walks, but it was frequented by beggars and travellers, who crossed it in order to get into London, tried not to linger. In London, the Moorfields were one of the last pieces of open land in the City of London, near the Moorgate. Adjoining Moorfields were Finsbury Fields, a favourite practising ground for the archers. Finsbury is a small district in the south of the London Borough of Islington and north of the City of London. Mile End, then a common on the Great Eastern Road, was famous as a rendezvous for the troops. Mile End is an area of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, England.
The preparations for the coronation of King James I were interrupted by a severe plague epidemic, which may have killed over thirty thousand people. James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James The Lord Mayor's Show, which had been discontinued for some years, was revived by order of the king in 1609. The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the longest established and best known annual events in London which dates back to 1215 The dissolved monastery of the Charterhouse, which had been bought and sold by the courtiers several times, was purchased by Thomas Button for £13,000. The London Charterhouse is a former Carthusian monastery in London, England, to the north of what is now Charterhouse Square. The new hospital, chapel, and schoolhouse were begun in 1611. Charterhouse School was to be one of the principal public schools in London until it moved to Surrey in Victorian times, and the site is still used as a medical school. Charterhouse, originally Sutton's Hospital in Charterhouse, is a prominent boys independent or public school as they're known in Britain between An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding predominantly in the form of school fees
The general meeting-place of Londoners in the day-time was the nave of Old St. Paul's Cathedral. Merchants conducted business in the aisles, and used the font as a counter upon which to make their payments; lawyers received clients at their particular pillars; and the unemployed looked for work. St Paul's Churchyard was the centre of the book trade and Fleet Street was a centre of public entertainment. Fleet Street is a street in London, England named after the River Fleet. Under James I the theatre, which established itself so firmly in the latter years of Elizabeth, grew further in popularity. The performances at the public theatres were complemented by elaborate masques at the royal court and at the inns of court. The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in sixteenth and early seventeenth century Europe though it was developed earlier in Italy
Charles I acceded to the throne in 1625. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. During his reign aristocrats began to inhabit the West End in large numbers. The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions businesses headquarters and the commercial In addition to those who had specific business at court, increasing numbers of country landowners and their families lived in London for part of the year simply for the social life. This was the beginning of the "London season". Lincoln's Inn Fields, was built about 1629. Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London, England. The piazza of Covent Garden, designed by England's first classically trained architect Inigo Jones followed in about 1632. Covent Garden (Pronunciation kɒvʌnt is a district in London, England, located on the easternmost parts of the City of Westminster and the southwest Iñigo Jones ( July 15, 1573 &ndash June 21, 1652) is regarded as the first significant British architect, and the first to bring The neighbouring streets were built shortly afterwards, and the names of Henrietta, Charles, James, King and York Streets were given after members of the royal family.
In January 1642 five members of parliament whom the King wished to arrest were granted refuge in the City. Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703 was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for In August of the same year the King raised his banner at Nottingham, and during the English Civil War London took the side of the parliament. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Initially the king had the upper hand in military terms and in November he won the Battle of Brentford a few miles to the west of London. The Battle of Brentford was a small Pitched battle which took place on 12 November, 1642, between a cavalry detachment of the Royalist army under The City organised a new makeshift army and Charles hesitated and retreated. Subsequently an extensive system of fortifications was built to protect London from a renewed attack by the Royalists. This comprised a strong earthen rampart, enhanced with bastions and redoubts. It was well beyond the City walls and encompassed the whole urban area, including Westminster and Southwark. London was not seriously threatened by the royalists again, and the financial resources of the City made an important contribution to the parliamentarians victory in the war.
The unsanitary and overcrowded City of London has suffered from the numerous outbreaks of the plague many times over the centuries, but in Britain it is the last major outbreak which is remembered as the "Great Plague" It occurred in 1665 and 1666 and killed around 60,000 people, which was one fifth of the population. The Great Plague (1665-1666 was a massive outbreak of Disease in England that killed 75000 to 100000 people up to a fifth of London 's population Samuel Pepys chronicled the epidemic in his diary. Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703 was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for On the 4 September 1665 he wrote "I have stayed in the city till above 7400 died in one week, and of them about 6000 of the plague, and little noise heard day or night but tolling of bells. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself "
The Great Plague was immediately followed by another catastrophe, albeit one which helped to put an end to the plague. On the Sunday, 2 September 1666 the Great Fire of London broke out at one o'clock in the morning at a house in Pudding Lane in the southern part of the City. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. This article is about the Great Fire of 1666 For other great fires in London see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London. Fanned by an eastern wind the fire spread, and efforts to arrest it by pulling down houses to make firebreaks were disorganised to begin with. On Tuesday night the wind fell somewhat, and on Wednesday the fire slackened. On Thursday it was extinguished, but on the evening of that day the flames again burst forth at the Temple. Some houses were at once blown up by gunpowder, and thus the fire was finally mastered. The Monument was built to commemorate the fire: for over a century and a half it bore an inscription attributing the conflagration to a "popish frenzy". The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known as The Monument, is a 61 metre (202 ft tall stone Roman doric column in the City of London, near
The fire destroyed about 60% of the City, including Old St Paul's Cathedral, 87 parish churches, 44 livery company halls and the Royal Exchange. However the number of lives lost was surprisingly small; it is believed to have been 16 at most. Within a few days of the fire, three plans were presented to the king for the rebuilding of the city, by Christopher Wren, John Evelyn and Robert Hooke. John Evelyn ( 31 October 1620 – 27 February 1706) was an English writer gardener and diarist Robert Hooke, FRS (18 July 1635 – 3 March 1703 was an English Natural philosopher and Polymath who played an important role in the Wren proposed to build main thoroughfares north and south, and east and west, to insulate all the churches in conspicuous positions, to form the most public places into large piazzas, to unite the halls of the 12 chief livery companies into one regular square annexed to the Guildhall, and to make a fine quay on the bank of the river from Blackfriars to the Tower of London. The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Cheapside and Basinghall Street, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. Blackfriars is an area of central London, which lies in the south-west corner of the City of London. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London Wren wished to build the new streets straight and in three standard widths of thirty, sixty and ninety feet. Evelyn's plan differed from Wren's chiefly in proposing a street from the church of St Dunstan's in the East to the St Paul's, and in having no quay or terrace along the river. St Dunstan-in-the-East was an Anglican church located on St Dunstan's Hill half way between London Bridge and the Tower of London in the City These plans were not implemented, and the rebuilt city generally followed the streetplan of the old one, and most of it has survived into the 21st century.
Nonetheless, the new City was different from the old one. Many aristocratic residents never returned, preferring to take new houses in the West End, where fashionable new districts such as St. James's were built close to the main royal residence, which was Whitehall Palace until it was destroyed by fire in the 1690s, and thereafter St. James's Palace. St James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones 's 1622 St James's Palace is one of London's oldest Palaces It is situated on Pall Mall in London, just north of St The rural lane of Piccadilly sprouted courtiers mansions such as Burlington House. Piccadilly is a major London street running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east For the New York City skycraper see Burlington House (New York City Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London Thus the separation between the middle class mercantile City of London, and the aristocratic world of the court in Westminster became complete. Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. In the City itself there was a move from wooden buildings to stone and brick construction to reduce the risk of fire. Parliament's Rebuilding of London Act 1666 stated "building with brick [is] not only more comely and durable, but also more safe against future perils of fire". The Rebuilding of London Act 1666 is an Act of the Parliament of England (19 Car From then on only doorcases, window-frames and shop fronts were allowed to be made of wood.
Christopher Wren's plan for a new model London came to nothing, but he was appointed to rebuild the ruined parish churches and to replace St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. His domed baroque cathedral was the primary symbol of London for at least a century and a half. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc As city surveyor, Robert Hooke oversaw the reconstruction of the City's houses. Robert Hooke, FRS (18 July 1635 – 3 March 1703 was an English Natural philosopher and Polymath who played an important role in the The East End, that is the area immediately to the east of the city walls, also became heavily populated in the decades after the Great Fire. London's docks began to extend downstream, attracting many working people who worked on the docks themselves and in the processing and distributive trades. These people lived in Whitechapel, Wapping, Stepney and Limehouse, generally in slum conditions. Whitechapel is a built-up Inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, England. Wapping (pronounced 'Wopping' is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. Stepney is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff
In the winter of 1683–4 a frost fair was held on the Thames. River Thames frost fairs were Fairs held on the River Thames at London when that portion of the river sometimes froze over during the 15th–19th centuries The frost, which began about seven weeks before Christmas and continued for six weeks after, was the greatest on record. The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, led to a large migration on Huguenots to London. The Edict of Fontainebleau (October 1685 was an Edict issued by Louis XIV of France, also known as the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes of The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth They established a silk industry at Spitalfields. Spitalfields is an area in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick
At this time the City of London was becoming the world's leading financial centre, superseding Amsterdam in primacy. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west The Bank of England was founded in 1694, and the British East India Company was expanding its influence. The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom Lloyd's of London also began to operate in the late 17th century. For the film see Lloyd's of London (film. Lloyd's of London is a British Insurance market In 1700 London handled 80% of England's imports, 69% of its exports and 86% of its re-exports. Many of the goods were luxuries from the Americas and Asia such as silk, sugar, tea and tobacco. The last figure emphasises London's role as an entrepot: while it had many craftsmen in the 17th century, and would later acquire some large factories, its economic prominence was never based primarily on industry. An entrepôt (from the French " Warehouse " is a Trading post where merchandise can be imported and Exported without Instead it was a great trading and redistribution centre. Goods were brought to London by England's increasingly dominant merchant navy, not only to satisfy domestic demand, but also for re-export throughout Europe and beyond.
William III cared little for London, the smoke of which gave him asthma, and after the first fire at Whitehall Palace (1691) he purchased Nottingham House and transformed it into Kensington Palace. William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England Kensington was then an insignificant village, but the arrival of the court soon caused it to grow in importance. Kensington is a district of West London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, located west of Charing Cross. The palace was rarely favoured by future monarchs, but its construction was another step in the expansion of the bounds of London. During the same reign Greenwich Hospital, then well outside the boundary of London, but now comfortably inside it, was begun; it was the naval complement to the Chelsea Hospital for former soldiers, which has been founded in 1681. The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a Retirement home and Nursing home for British Soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to During the reign of Queen Anne an act was passed authorising the building of 50 new churches to serve the greatly increased population living outside the boundaries of the City of London. Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714 became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702 succeeding William III of England and II of
18th century London
The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, and London's role at the centre of the evolving British Empire. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.
In 1707 an Act of Union was passed merging the Scottish and the English Parliaments, thus establishing The Kingdom of Great Britain. The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into A year later, in 1708 Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral was completed on his birthday. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. However, the first service had been held on December 2, 1697; more than 10 years earlier. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire This Cathedral replaced the original St. Paul's which had been completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London. This article is about the Great Fire of 1666 For other great fires in London see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London. This building is considered one of the finest in Britain and a fine example of Baroque architecture. Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical
During the Georgian period London spread beyond its traditional limits at an accelerating pace. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. New districts such as Mayfair were built for the rich in the West End, new bridges over the Thames encouraged an acceleration of development in South London and in the East End, the Port of London expanded downstream from the City. Mayfair is an area of central London, England, within the City of Westminster. South London is the southern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes During this period was also the uprising of the American colonies. In 1780, the Tower of London held its only American prisoner, former President of the Continental Congress, Henry Laurens. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the Henry Laurens (March 6 1724 December 8 1792 was an American merchant and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary In 1779 he was the Congress's representative of Holland, and got the country's support for the Revolution. On his return voyage back to America, the Royal Navy captured him and charged him with treason after finding evidence of a reason of war between Great Britain and the Netherlands. He was released from the Tower on December 21, 1781 in exchange for General Lord Cornwallis. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Charles Cornwallis 1st Marquess Cornwallis ( 31 December 1738 &ndash 5 October 1805) was a British military commander and colonial
In 1762 George III acquired Buckingham Palace (then known as "house") from the Duke of Buckingham. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. It was enlarged over the next 75 years by architects such as John Nash. It would not be until the 19th century, however, that the palace would become the principal London royal residence.
A phenomenon of 18th century London was the coffee house, which became a popular place to debate ideas. A coffeehouse ( French / Portuguese: café; Spanish: cafetería; Italian: caffè Growing literacy and the development of the printing press meant that news became widely available. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth thereby transferring an image Fleet Street became the centre of the embryonic British press during the century. Fleet Street is a street in London, England named after the River Fleet.
18th century London was dogged by crime, the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment The Bow Street Runners have been called London 's first professional Police force. Penalties for crime were harsh, with the death penalty being applied for fairly minor crimes. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Public hangings were common in London, and were popular public events. Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death
In 1780 London was rocked by the Gordon Riots, an uprising by Protestants against Roman Catholic emancipation led by Lord George Gordon. The Gordon Riots refers to a number of events in a predominantly Protestant religious uprising in London, England, in 1780, aimed against the Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Lord George Gordon ( 26 December, 1751 &ndash 12 November, 1793) was a Politician in the United Kingdom best known for Severe damage was caused to Catholic churches and homes, and 285 rioters were killed.
In the year 1787, freed slaves from London, America, and many of Britain's colonies founded Freetown in modern-day Sierra Leone. Freetown is the Capital and largest City of Sierra Leone, and a major Port on the Atlantic Ocean.
Up until 1750, London Bridge was the only crossing over the Thames, but in that year Westminster Bridge was opened and, for the first time in history, London Bridge, in a sense, had a rival. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster, Middlesex bank and Lambeth, Surrey bank in what
The 18th century saw the breakaway of the American colonies and many other unfortunate events in London, but also great change and Enlightenment. This all led into the beginning of modern times, the 19th century.
19th century London
During the 19th century, London was transformed into the world's largest city and capital of the British Empire. Its population expanded from 1 million in 1800 to 6. 7 million a century later. During this period, London became a global political, financial, and trading capital. In this position, it was largely unrivaled until the latter part of the century, when Paris and New York began to threaten its dominance.
While the city grew wealthy as Britain's holdings expanded, 19th century London was also a city of poverty, where millions lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums. A slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security Life for the poor was immortalised by Charles Dickens in such novels as Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist (1838 is Charles Dickens' second Novel. The book was originally published in Bentley's Miscellany as a serial
In 1829 the prime minister Robert Peel established the Metropolitan Police as a police force covering the entire urban area. Sir Robert Peel 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 &ndash 2 July 1850 was the Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April "Metropolitan Police" redirects here See also Metropolitan police. The force gained the nickname of "bobbies" or "peelers" named after Robert Peel.
19th century London was transformed by the coming of the railways. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. A new network of metropolitan railways allowed for the development of suburbs in neighboring counties from which middle-class and wealthy people could commute to the centre. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. While this spurred the massive outward growth of the city, the growth of greater London also exacerbated the class divide, as the wealthier classes emigrated to the suburbs, leaving the poor to inhabit the inner city areas.
The first railway to be built in London was a line from London Bridge to Greenwich, which opened in 1836. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. Greenwich ( ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ GREN-itch /ˈɡrɛnɪdʒ/ GREN-idge or /ˈɡrɪnɪdʒ/ GRIN-idge is a district in south-east London, This was soon followed by the opening of great rail termini which linked London to every corner of Britain. These included Euston station (1837), Paddington station (1838), Fenchurch Street station (1841), Waterloo station (1848), King's Cross station (1850), and St Pancras station (1863). London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station Fenchurch Street is a railway station in the south eastern corner of the City of London close by the Tower of London and two miles (3 King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross From 1863, the first lines of the London Underground were constructed. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
The urbanised area continued to grow rapidly, spreading into Islington, Paddington, Belgravia, Holborn, Finsbury, Shoreditch, Southwark and Lambeth. Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. Paddington is an area of the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster, situated to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. Holborn (ˈhoʊbɚn or /ˈhoʊbɝːn/ "ho bun" is an area of Central London, England Finsbury is a small district in the south of the London Borough of Islington and north of the City of London. Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney. Southwark or The Borough is an area of south-east London in the London Borough of Southwark, situated 1 Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth, although the area is now more commonly known as Waterloo, after the railway station whose viaduct separates the Towards the middle of the century, London's antiquated local government system, consisting of ancient parishes and vestries, struggled to cope with the rapid growth in population. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches A vestry is a storage room in or attached to a church or Synagogue. In 1855 the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was created to provide London with adequate infrastructure to cope with its growth. The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW was the principal instrument of London -wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889
One of its first tasks was addressing London's sanitation problems. At the time, raw sewage was pumped straight into the River Thames. Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. This culminated in The Great Stink of 1858. The Great Stink or The Big Stink was a time in the summer of 1858 during which the smell of untreated Sewage almost overwhelmed people in central London The polluted drinking water (sourced from the Thames) also brought disease and epidemics to London's populace.
Parliament finally gave consent for the MBW to construct a massive system of sewers. The engineer put in charge of building the new system was Joseph Bazalgette. Sir Joseph William Bazalgette ( 28 March 1819 &ndash 15 March 1891) was one of the great English Civil engineers of In what was one of the largest civil engineering projects of the 19th century, he oversaw construction of over 2100 km of tunnels and pipes under London to take away sewage and provide clean drinking water. Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built When the London sewerage system was completed, the death toll in London dropped dramatically, and epidemics of cholera and other diseases were curtailed. The London sewerage system is part of the Water infrastructure serving London. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium Bazalgette's system is still in use today.
One of the most famous events of 19th-century London was the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Great Exhibition, also known as Crystal Palace, was an international exhibition that was held in Hyde Park, London, England, from 1 Held at The Crystal Palace, the fair attracted visitors from across the world and displayed Britain at the height of its Imperial dominance. The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and Glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the
As the capital of a massive empire, London became a magnet for immigrants from the colonies and poorer parts of Europe. A large Irish population settled in the city during the Victorian period, with many of the newcomers refugees from the Great Famine (1845-1849). Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world At one point, Irish immigrants made up about 20% of London's population. London also became home to a sizable Jewish community, and small communities of Chinese and South Asians settled in the city. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************
In 1888, the new County of London was established, administered by the London County Council. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 London County Council (LCC was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889-1965 existence and the first London-wide general municipal This was the first elected London-wide administrative body, replacing the earlier Metropolitan Board of Works, which had been made up of appointees. The County of London covered broadly what was then the full extent of the London conurbation, although the conurbation later outgrew the boundaries of the county. In 1900, the county was sub-divided into 28 metropolitan boroughs, which formed a more local tier of administration than the county council. A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England covering urban areas within metropolitan counties.
Many famous buildings and landmarks of London were constructed during the 19th century including:
- Trafalgar Square
- Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
- The Royal Albert Hall
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- Tower Bridge
20th century London
London from 1900 to World War II
London entered the 20th century at the height of its influence as the capital of the largest empire in history, but the new century was to bring many challenges. Trafalgar Square is a square in central London, England. With its position in the heart of London it is a tourist attraction its trademark is Nelson's The Clock Tower is the world's largest four-faced chiming Clock. The Royal Albert Hall is an Arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design housing a permanent collection Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and Suspension bridge in London, England over the River Thames.
London's population continued to grow rapidly in the early decades of the century, and public transport was greatly expanded. A large tram network was constructed by the London County Council, through the LCC Tramways. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The London County Council Tramways was an extensive network of public street tramways that was operated by the council throughout the County of London, UK And the first motorbus service began in the 1900s. Improvements to London's overground and underground rail network, including large scale electrification were progressively carried out.
During World War I, London experienced its first bombing raids carried out by German zeppelin airships; these killed around 700 people and caused great terror, but were merely a foretaste of what was to come. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A Zeppelin is a type of Rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century based on designs he had outlined Terminology In some countries airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (fr ''diriger'' to direct plus -ible) meaning "directable" The city of London would experience many more terrors as a result of both World Wars. The largest explosion in London occurred during World War I: the Silvertown explosion, when a munitions factory containing 50 tons of TNT exploded, killing 73 and injuring 400. The Silvertown explosion occurred in Silvertown in West Ham, Essex (now Greater London) on Friday 19 January 1917 at 18 Trinitrotoluene ( TNT) is a Chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO23CH3
The period between the two World Wars saw London's geographical extent growing more quickly than ever before or since. A preference for lower density suburban housing, typically semi-detached, by Londoners seeking a more "rural" lifestyle, superseded Londoners' old predilection for terraced houses. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Semi-Detached (1998 was Therapy? 's last album for A&M Records. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses This was facilitated not only by a continuing expansion of the rail network, including trams and the Underground, but also by slowly widening car ownership. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train London's suburbs expanded outside the boundaries of the County of London, into the neighboring counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex and Surrey. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties.
Like the rest of the country, London suffered severe unemployment during the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the East End during the 1930s, politically extreme parties of both right and left flourished. The Communist Party of Great Britain won a seat in the House of Commons, and the far-right British Union of Fascists received extensive support. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB was the largest Communist party in the United Kingdom, though it never became a mass party like the Communist parties of The British Union of Fascists (BUF was a Political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by a Labour government minister and former MP Clashes between right and left culminated in the Battle of Cable Street in 1936. The Battle of Cable Street or Cable Street Riot took place on Sunday October 4, 1936 in Cable Street in the East End of London. The population of London reached an all time peak of 8. 6 million in 1939.
Large numbers of Jewish immigrants fleeing from Nazi Germany, settled in London during the 1930s, who settled mostly in the West End. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions businesses headquarters and the commercial
London in World War II
During World War II, London, as many other British cities, suffered severe damage, being bombed extensively by the Luftwaffe as a part of The Blitz. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. Prior to the bombing, hundreds of thousands of children in London were evacuated to the countryside to avoid the bombing. Civilians took shelter from the air raids in underground stations.
The heaviest bombing took place between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. During this period, London was subjected to 71 separate raids receiving over 18,000 tonnes of high explosive. Less intensive bombing followed over the following few years as Hitler concentrated on the Eastern front. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Towards the end of the war, during 1944/45 London came under heavy attack again by pilotless V-1 and V-2 rockets, which were fired from Nazi occupied Europe. The Fieseler Fi 103, better known as V-1 (German Vergeltungswaffe 1 was an early Cruise missile used during World War Two See also Vergeltungswaffe The V-2 rocket ( Vergeltungswaffe 2 was the first Ballistic missile and first man-made object to achieve
London suffered severe damage and heavy casualties, the worst hit part being the Docklands area. The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames from London, England to the North Sea. By the war's end, just under 30,000 Londoners had been killed by the bombing, and over 50,000 seriously injured,[5] tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless.
London 1945–2000
Immediately after the war, the 1948 Summer Olympics were held at the original Wembley Stadium, at a time when the city had barely recovered from the war. The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in London original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the London's rebuilding was slow to begin. However, in 1951 the Festival of Britain was held, which marked an increasing mood of optimism and forward looking. The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which opened in London and around Britain in May 1951
In the immediate postwar years housing was a major issue in London, due to the large amount of housing which had been destroyed in the war. The authorities decided upon high-rise blocks of flats as the answer to housing shortages. A tower block, block of flats, or apartment block, is a multi-unit High-rise Apartment building. During the 1950s and 1960s the skyline of London altered dramatically as tower blocks were erected, although these later proved unpopular. In a bid to reduce the number of people living in overcrowded housing, a policy was introduced of encouraging people to move into newly built new towns surrounding London. A new town, planned community or planned city is a City, Town, or Community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically
Through the 19th and in the early half of the 20th century, Londoners used coal for heating their homes, which produced large amounts of smoke. In combination with climatic conditions this often caused a characteristic smog, and London became known for its typical "London Fog", also known as "Pea Soupers". Smog is a kind of Air pollution; the word "smog" is a Portmanteau of Smoke and Fog. London was sometimes referred to as "The Smoke" because of this. In 1952 this culminated in the disastrous Great Smog of 1952 which lasted for five days and killed over 4,000 people. The Great Smog, also referred to as the Big Smoke befell London from December 5th to December 9th 1952. In response to this, the Clean Air Act 1956 was passed, mandating the creating of "smokeless zones" where the use of "smokeless" fuels was required (this was at a time when most households still used open fires); the Act was effective, though the nickname is still used sarcastically. The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which responded to London 's Great Smog of 1952. Sarcasm is stating the opposite of an intended meaning especially in order to sneeringly slyly jest or mock a person situation or thing
Starting in the mid-1960s, and partly as a result of the success of such UK musicians as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, London became a centre for the worldwide youth culture, exemplified by the Swinging London subculture which made Carnaby Street a household name of youth fashion around the world. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 A youth subculture is a Youth -based Subculture with distinct styles behaviours and interests Swinging London is a catchall term applied to a variety of dynamic cultural trends in the United Kingdom (centred in London) in the second half of the 1960s Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the area of 'Carnaby' in the district of Soho London's role as a trendsetter for youth fashion was revived strongly in the 1980s during the New Wave and Punk eras. New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s In the mid-1990s this was revived to some extent with the emergence of the Britpop era. Britpop is a subgenre of Alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom.
From the 1950s onwards London became home to a large number of immigrants, largely from Commonwealth countries such as Jamaica, India and Pakistan, which dramatically changed the face of London, turning it into one of the most diverse cities in Europe. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and However, the integration of the new immigrants was not always easy. Racial tensions emerged in events such as the Brixton Riots in the early 1980s.
From the beginning of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s until the mid-1990s, London was subjected to repeated terrorist attacks by the Provisional IRA. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the
The outward expansion of London was slowed by the war, and the Green Belt established soon afterwards. In United Kingdom town planning, the Green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth Due to this outward expansion, in 1965 the old County of London (which by now only covered part of the London conurbation) and the London County Council were abolished, and the much larger area of Greater London was established with a new Greater London Council (GLC) to administer it, along with 32 new London boroughs. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 London County Council (LCC was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889-1965 existence and the first London-wide general municipal Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs.
Greater London's population declined steadily in the decades after World War II, from an estimated peak of 8. 6 million in 1939 to around 6. 8 million in the 1980s. However it then began to increase again in the late 1980s, encouraged by strong economic performance and an increasingly positive image.
London's traditional status as a major port declined dramatically in the post-war decades as the old Docklands could not accommodate large modern container ships. Docklands is the semi-official name for an area in the east of London, England, comprising parts of several boroughs ( Southwark, Tower Hamlets The principal ports for London moved to the upstream towns of Felixstowe and Tilbury. Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The docklands area had become largely derelict by the 1980s, but was redeveloped into flats and offices from the mid-1980s onwards. The Thames Barrier was completed in the 1980s to protect London against tidal surges from the North Sea. The Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames, constructed between 1974 and 1984 at Woolwich Reach and first used defensively in 1983 The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf.
In the early 1980s political disputes between the GLC run by Ken Livingstone and the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher led to the GLC's abolition in 1986, with most of its powers relegated to the London boroughs. Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945 is a British Socialist Politician. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. This left London as the only large metropolis in the world without a central administration.
In 2000, London-wide government was restored, with the creation of the Greater London Authority (GLA) by Tony Blair's government, covering the same area of Greater London. The Greater London Authority ( GLA) is the city-wide governing body for London, England. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to The new authority had similar powers to the old GLC, but was made up of a directly elected Mayor and a London Assembly. The Mayor of London is an elected politician who along with the London Assembly of 25 members is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London (see The London Assembly is an elected body part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power with a two-thirds London was also recognised as one of the nine regions of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one
21st century London
At the turn of the 21st century, London hosted the much derided Millennium Dome at Greenwich, to mark the new century. The Millennium Dome, often referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large Dome -shaped building originally used to house Greenwich ( ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ GREN-itch /ˈɡrɛnɪdʒ/ GREN-idge or /ˈɡrɪnɪdʒ/ GRIN-idge is a district in south-east London, Other Millennium projects were more successful. One was the largest observation wheel in the world, the "Millennium Wheel", or the London Eye, which was erected as a temporary structure, but soon became a fixture, and draws four million visitors a year. The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (its height is) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist The National Lottery also released a flood of funds for major enhancements to existing attractions, for example the roofing of the Great Court at the British Museum. The National Lottery is the largest Lottery in the United Kingdom. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London.
The London Plan, published by the Mayor of London in 2004, estimated that the population would reach 8. The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The Mayor of London is an elected politician who along with the London Assembly of 25 members is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London (see 1 million by 2016, and continue to rise thereafter. This was reflected in a move towards denser, more urban styles of building, including a greatly increased number of tall buildings,[6] and proposals for major enhancements to the public transport network. This list of the tallest buildings and structures in London ranks Skyscrapers and Towers in the city of London, United Kingdom by height However, funding for projects such as Crossrail remained a struggle. Crossrail is a project to build major new Railway connections under central London.
On July 6, 2005 London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London 2012 was the successful bid for the 2012 Summer Games, to be held in London with most events taking place in Stratford, Newham However, celebrations were cut short the following day when, on July 7, 2005, London was rocked by a series of terrorist attacks. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 7 July 2005 London bombings (also called the 7/7 bombings) were a series of coordinated bomb blasts that hit London's public transport system during More than 50 were killed and 750 injured in three bombings on London Underground and another aboard a double decker bus near Russell Square in King's Cross. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire A double-decker bus is a Bus that has two levels While double-decker long-distance coaches are in widespread use around the world double-decker city buses are Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden.
Population
- 1AD — a few farmsteaders
- 50 — 50–100
- 140 — 45–60,000
- 300 — 10–20,000
- 400 — fewer than 5,000?
- 500 — over a few hundred
- 700 — a few thousand in the new city of Lundenwic
- 900 — a few thousand in the re-established city of Lundenburgh
- 1000 — 5–10,000
- 1100 — 10–20,000
- 1300 — 50–100,000 (according to research by Derek Keene)
- 1350 — 25–50,000 following the Black Death
- 1500 — 50–75,000
- 1600 — 200,000
- 1650 — 350,000
- 1700 — 550,000 (nearly 10% of the population of England and Wales)
- 1750 — 700,000
- 1801 — 959,300 (at the time, Europe's largest city)
- 1831 — 1,655,000 (most populous city in the world)
- 1851 — 2,363,000
- 1891 — 5,572,012
- 1901 — 6,506,954
- 1911 — 7,160,525
- 1921 — 7,386,848 (soon to be overtaken by New York City as most populous city in the world)
- 1931 — 8,110,480
- 1939 — 8,615,245 (population peak)
- 1951 — 8,196,978
- 1961 — 7,992,616
- 1971 — 7,452,520
- 1981 — 6,805,000
- 1991 — 6,829,300
- 2001 — 7,322,400 (revised mid year estimate; [1] original census count was 7,172,091)
- 2006 — 7,657,300
- 2016 — 8. This article deals with the history of London during the Anglo-Saxon period from the ending of the Roman period in the 5th century to the This article deals with the history of London during the Anglo-Saxon period from the ending of the Roman period in the 5th century to the History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The City of New York 2 m (forecast in 'London's Place in the UK Economy' City of London Corporation Sept. The City of London Corporation (formerly known as the Corporation of London)is the municipal governing body of the City of London. 2002)
The first Census was in 1801, so early dates are estimates based on archaeological density of sites compared with known population of the City of London between 1600–1800 (i. e. , 50,000). Dates from 1300 onwards are based on what is probably better evidence, from historic records.
Figures for 1891 onwards are for Greater London in its 2001 limits (Greater London did not exist until 1965). Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. Figures before 1971 have been reconstructed by the Office for National Statistics based on past censuses in order to fit the 2001 limits. Figures from 1981 onward are midyear estimates (revised as of 2004), which are more accurate than the censuses themselves, known to underestimate the population of London. London's urban area now extends beyond the boundaries of Greater London, and it had an estimated population of 8,505,000 in 2005[7].
Historical places of note in London
- London Bridge
- Tower of London
- Houses of Parliament
- Buckingham Palace
- The City
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Westminster Abbey
- Alexandra Palace
- Battersea Power Station
- Croydon Airport
- The Royal Greenwich Observatory
- Hyde Park, London
- The Monument
- Parliament Hill
- Royal Society
- Royal Institution
- The Thames Flood Barrier Visitors' Centre
- Tyburn
- Waterloo International
- Vauxhall Cross
- Vauxhall Station
See also
- Fortifications of London
- Economy of London
- Geography of London
- Geology of London
- History of local government in London
References
- Billings, Malcolm (1994), London: a companion to its history and archaeology, ISBN 1 85626 153 0
- Inwood, Stephen. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large mainly Gothic church Set in Alexandra Park, Alexandra Palace was built in an area spanning Wood Green and Muswell Hill, North London, England in 1873 as Battersea Power Station is a defunct coal-fired power station in Battersea, London, that was the first in a series of large coal-fired electrical generating Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. The Royal Observatory Greenwich (formerly the Royal Greenwich Observatory or RGO) was commissioned in 1675 by King Charles II, with the Hyde Park is one of the largest Parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known as The Monument, is a 61 metre (202 ft tall stone Roman doric column in the City of London, near Parliament Hill is an open area of land in north-west London on the south side of Hampstead Heath, both areas administered by the City of London Corporation The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research based in London. The Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames, constructed between 1974 and 1984 at Woolwich Reach and first used defensively in 1983 History The village was one of two manors of the Parish of St Marylebone, which was itself named after the stream St Marylebone being Waterloo International station was the London terminus of the Eurostar international rail service from its opening on 14 November 1994 until Vauxhall is an inner city area of South London in the London Borough of Lambeth. For the various theories on whether Vauxhall station may have given its name to the Russian word for railway station vokzal (Вокзал see the article on The fortifications of London are extensive and mostly well maintained though many of Inner London 's fortifications and defences were dismantled in the 17th and 18th century London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is one of three "command centres" for the global economy (along with New York City London is the largest Urban area and capital city of the United Kingdom. The geology of London comprises various differing layers of sedimentary rock upon which London, England is built The history of local government in London, England can be broken down into a number of periods Gallery See also Local government A History of London (1998) ISBN 0333671538
- ^ Channel4.com Bronze-Age Thames
- ^ Channel4 Time Team
- ^ "Lundenwic", extract from London: A Concise History, Geoffrey Trease
- ^ a b Nikolaus Pevsner, London I: The Cities of London and Westminster rev. Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, ( January 30, 1902 &ndash August 18, 1983) was a German-born British scholar of edition,1962, Introduction p 48.
- ^ Air Raid Precautions homefront website
- ^ London - Full Summary of Projects. Will Fox, SkyscraperCity. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-15. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of
- ^ United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, 2005 estimate for London
External links
- London History - From Britannia. com.
- More London History - From Britainexpress. com.
- Motco.com map database - very detailed historical maps
- Roman London - "In their own words" (PDF) A literary companion to the prehistory and archæology of London by Kevin Flude
- London: The Biography First chapter of the book online by Peter Ackroyd
- London - Article in the 1908 Catholic Encyclopædia
- untoldLondon - searches for multicultural history in London
- Exploring 20th century London - Explore London's history, culture and religions during the 20th century
- Moral Regulation and Civic Identity in London 1400-1530, by Stephanie Tarbin
- COLLAGE — images from the City of London Corporation's visual database
- The Growth of London 1666 - 1799
Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Peter Ackroyd (born 5 October 1949, East Acton, London) is an English Author. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia
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