History of London

London evolved from its Roman beginnings through conquests, civil war, fire and plagues to become the city we know today... 50 A.D. The Romans founded London - they built a bridge over the Thames and then a town nearby. 2nd.-3rd.century - London was enclosed by a 20ft.wall with 20 bastions. see remnants of wall and Roman artifacts at the Museum of London 61 AD. - Queen Boadicca sacks the city before been defeated 410AD.- Roman troops withdraw 449AD - Saxons arrive in Britain 604AD.The first St.Pauls Cathedral is founded 750AD. Monastery of St.Peter founded later to become Westminster Abbey 851AD. London destroyed by Vikings. 1042 - Edward the Confessor built a wooden palace at Westminster.  1066 - Following a victory at the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror, the then Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England in the newly-finished on Christmas Day 1066 1088 - The White stone Tower is built by William the Conqueror in the southeast corner of the city. This castle is expanded by later kings and is now known as the Tower of London serving first as a royal residence and later as a prison 1097 - William II began the building of Westminster Hall, close by the abbey of the same name. The hall proved the basis of a new Palace of Westminster,  the prime royal residence throughout the Middle Ages. Westminster becomes the seat of the royal court and government (persisting until the present day), whilst its distinct neighbour, the City of London  was a centre of trade and commerce and flourished under its own unique administration, the Corporation of London. Eventually, the adjacent cities grew together and formed the basis of modern central London, superseding Winchester as capital of England in the 9th century. 1176 - The wooden bridge across the Thames is replaced with one of stone. 1220 - St. Pauls Cathedral is rebuilt 1348 - Black Death kills about one third of the population of London. 1397 - Richard (Dick) Whittington becomes Mayor of London 1476 - William Caxton sets up the first printing press in Westminster 1483 - Murder of the Princes in the Tower of London (presumed). 1532 - Henry VIII creates the Palace of Whitehall See full page feature of Henry VIII, Henry VIII and his Six Wives 1536 - St. James's Palace  is Built 1550 - Incorporation of Southwark into the City of London. 1588 - After the successful defeat of the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth I attends a ceremony of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral 1588 - William Shakespeare starts to work and live in London 1603 - James VI of Scotland comes to the throne of England on the death of Elizabeth 1 at Richmond, essentially uniting the two countries. 1605 - The Kings enactment of harsh anti-Catholic laws make him unpopular, and an assassination attempt is made on 5 November, the famous Gunpowder Plot 1622 A new Banqueting House  is built at the Palace of Whitehall. This was the site of the execution of Charles I in January 1649. 1635 The King opens Hyde Park to the public 1642-49 - Civil War - Charles 1 is executed  1660 Monarchy is restored and Charles 11  return to London is met with great rejoicing. 1660-69 - Samuel Pepys writes his diaries detailing contemporary events and people. 1665  Plague causes extensive problems for London in the early 17th century, culminating in the Great Plague  in 1665-1666. This was the last outbreak in Europe and it killed around 100,000 Londoners. 1666  A fire (the Great Fire of London ) broke out in the City and quickly swept through London's wooden buildings, destroying large swathes of the city (and killing off much of the disease-carrying rat population) but killing just seven people. Rebuilding took over ten years.- see Samuel Pepys and The Monument  1675 - work starts on the rebuilding of St.Pauls Cathedral 1694 - Bank of England  is established 1724 - The church of St.Martin-in-the-Fields is re-built 1732 - Downing Street is established as the home of the Prime Minister 1732 - Covent Garden Theatre opens - together with Drury Lane, which was established during Charles II's time, they dominate the London stage for many years to come.   1750 - Westminster Bridge is built 1759 - Kew Gardens Established 1764 - Dr. Johnson,  the compiler of the first English dictionary is founder of The Literary Club 1805 -Victory in The Battle of Trafalgar - Nelson's death 1810 - The start of the Regency. 1820 - Regent's Canal is opened 1824 - The National Gallery  is founded  1834 - The Houses of Parliament  are built after fire destroyed most of the Old Palace of Westminster 1837- Buckingham Palace becomes the official residence of the Sovereign 1840 - Trafalgar Square  is laid out to mark Nelson's victory 1863 - First section of the London Underground is built 1888 -Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror 1894 - Tower Bridge  is built 1901 - The Victorian Era comes to an end with the death of Queen Victoria. 1901-1910 - West End Theatre 's and Music Halls put on famous acts such as Marie Lloyd, Vesta Tilley and popular Edwardian melodramas to delight Londoners. 1909 - The Victoria and Albert Museum  opens 1914 - World War I begins - dense crowds gather around Buckingham Palace  to hear Big Ben tolled at 11p.m-marking the end of the British ultimatum and the start of war. 1922 - The B.B.C. transmits its first programmes. 1939-45 - World War II. London is heavily bombed. Thousands of lives and homes are lost and many historic monuments are destroyed. 1951- The Festival of Britain gives a new drive to the arts. The Festival Hall opens in 1951 on the South Bank and is followed by the Hayward Gallery in 1968. The National Theatre opens in 1976. 1953 - The Coronation of Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey . 1991 - Canary Wharf is completed 1994 - London's Waterloo international terminal opened - Rail service through the Channel Tunnel commences. 1997 - The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey 2000 - Tate Modern opens in the former Bankside Power Station on the South Bank 2000 - Ken Livingstone becomes London's first directly elected mayor 2000 - The Millennium dome costing nearly GBP 800 million of public money opens for one year Millennium - The London Eye is the world's largest observation wheel and since opening is proving to be one of London's major attractions  2002 - Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee 2005 - London experiences extensive bomb damage on the London Transport System   See Kings and Queen's of England

Where to see in London

Roman London A Roman pavement can be found in the crypt of All Hallows by the Tower A section of the Roman wall can be seen from the Museum of London See the Roman amphitheatre discovered below the Guildhall The Museum of London has a 2nd century pavement mosaic The collections of Roman finds at the British Museum is extensive The London Stone (thought to be the milliarium of Roman London)  can be found in Cannon Street.   Medieval London The Tower of London Westminster Abbey Westminster Hall St. Bartholomew-the-Great The National Gallery for paintings from this period The British Library has Manuscripts and The Domesday Book   Elizabethan London Middle Temple Hall Staple Inn Westminster Abbey's Lady Chapel Elizabethan Artefact's can be seen in The Museum of London Fine furniture from the Elizabethan period can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum   Stuart and Restoration  London St. Paul's Cathedral City of London Churches The Banqueting House Lincoln's Inn The Victoria and Albert Museum has pottery and silver collections from this time   Georgian London Berkeley Square Manchester Square and most West End Squares have fine Georgian Buildings Hogarth's pictures can be seen at Tate Britain     Victorian London The Victoria and Albert Museum Royal Albert Hall Leighton House The London transport Museum has buses, trams and trains from this time Victorian silver is on display at the Victorian and Albert Museum