London has one of the richest and most interesting history. Understanding its history will explain a huge amount of the architectures and attractions there are to see in this great Capital. Not wanting to give you a history lesson, we have highlighted a few pre-2nd World War historical events.
43-50 Romans establish a stronghold on the River Thames
AD60 Queen Boudicca's revolt destroys the Roman settlement of Londinium
By AD100 Londinium replaces Colchester (Camulodunum) as the capital of the province of Britannia
604 St Paul's Cathedral is founded by the first Saxon Bishop, Mellitus
1050-65 Edward the Confessor constructs Westminster Abbey
1067 William the Conqueror begins construction of three fortresses, including the Tower of London
1215 City of London is given the right to elect its own mayor
1319 Edward II recognizes the city's autonomy
1327 Completion of St Paul's Cathedral
1348-75 The Black Death kills half the city's population
1381 Peasant's Revolt led by Watt Tyler
1397-1420 Dick Whittington is Mayor of London
1587 The Rose Theater is built on Bankside
1599 The Globe Theater opens on Bankside
1600 The East India Company is founded
1605 Guy Fawkes tries and fails to blow up the Houses of Parliament
1649 Execution of Charles I
1665-66 Plague kills more than 110,000 Londoners
1666 Great Fire of London
1683-84 River Thames freezes over in what is now known as the Great Freeze
1694 Founding of the Bank of England
1700 Population stands at 600,000
1750 Street lighting is introduced
1780 Anti-Catholic Gordon riots
1801 Population stands at 900,000
1834 Opening of the capital’s first railway – a local passenger line between London and Greenwich
1837 Opening of the first intercity rail route, London to Birmingham
1851 Great Exhibition is housed in Crystal Palace and Hyde Park and attracts six million visitors
1863 London Underground opens
1889 First major strike called at the docks
1901 Death of Queen Victoria. Population reaches 6.5 million
1918-39 Population of Greater London grows to 8.7 million, but the number of people living in the City shrinks
1926 General Strike
Aug-Sep 1940 Battle of Britain
