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| City Guide - London - History | ||
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History AD43-50 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 recognises 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 Theatre is built on Bankside 1599 The Globe Theatre 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 1940-41 The Blitz 1944-45 Nazi rocket attacks destroy parts of the City, Westminster, the Docks and the East End 1951 Festival of Britain 1960-80 Closure of many London docks 1965 First Notting Hill Carnival takes place 1980 Mrs Thatcher disbands the Greater London Council under Ken Livingstone 1980 Brixton riots 1990 Poll Tax riots in Trafalgar Square 1997 The Queen opens the new Globe Theatre on Bankside 2000 Millennium Dome and the BA London Eye are among many projects that promote London as the 'Millennium City'. Ken Livingstone elected new major of London |
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