London – The Complete Guide to the UK

London Map

Before AD 43

There were a few small settlements. The river Thames was an important tribal boundary.

AD 43 - AD 60

The Roman settlement Londinium was built.

AD 60

Londinium was destroyed by Boudicca and the Iceni. It was quickly rebuilt and began to grow.

AD 60 - AD 410

Londinium grew rapidly, reaching a population of 60 000. It replaced Colchester as the captial of Roman Britain. A surrounding wall was built around what we now know as the City of London.

AD 450 - AD 1066

The Anglo-Saxons built settlements outside the old Roman wall (the area we now know as The Strand). They called their city Lundenwic.

AD 800

Lundenwic was attacked by the Vikings and re-named Lundenburgh. The population at this time was around 15 000.

AD 1066 - AD 1485

The Normans built many fortresses in the London area, including the Tower London. They also built London Bridge to replace several older bridges. It was the only bridge across the River Thames until 1739! By 1300, the population of London had grown to roughly 80 000.

AD 1485 - AD 1603

In Tudor London, trading companies began to develop as trading with Russia and the newly found America became important. Ships brought immigrants, meaning the population increased again to 250 000 by 1605. Some rich courtiers of Elizabeth I began to build country villas in Essex and Surrey, but the city of London was still quite small.

AD 1665

Around 60 000 people died as a result of the Great Plague of 1665 (about 20% of the population).

AD 1666

The Great Fire of London destroyed around 60% of the buildings in the city. Rich Londoners moved to build new homes in the West End, where the new Royal house, St Jame’s Palace, was being built.

AD 1762

King George III bought Buckingham House (later renamed Buckingham Palace) for the Royal Family. The population of London increased to 1 million.

AD 1801 - AD 1900

London was the capital of the expanding British Empire. Trading and finance became important industries. Many famous landmarks were built, including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, the Royal Albert Hall and Tower Bridge. The population was 6.7 million in 1900.

AD 1900 - 1939

The areas on the edge of London (known as the suburbs) grew as people moved out of the crowded city into more spacious semi-detached houses. The population was 8.6 million.

AD 1939 - AD 1945

During World War II, German bombers destroyed or damaged many houses and buildings during raids called the Blitz. Many children were evacuated from London to the countryside to protect them.

AD 1950 - AD 1969

To replace houses destroyed during the Blitz and meet demand for new housing, many high-rise flats were built.

AD 1970 - AD 1989

Trading by ships was less popular, and the Docks in London closed. The Docklands buildings were renovated to create more housing. The Thames Barrier was built to protect London from flooding caused by tidal surges. The population of London grew to 6.8 million.

AD 2000

The Millenium Dome (now known as the O2 Arena) and the Millenium Wheel (now known as the London Eye) were opened. The Millenium Bridge was due to open but had to remain closed for 2 more years after a design problem caused it to sway when people walked across it.

AD 2012

The Olympic Games were held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Main Facts
London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together. They are: the City of London and the City of Westminster. Together they make up a region known as Greater London
London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom
Population (2021) – 8,961,989 people
More than 300 languages are spoken in London
London has 170 museums, 300 theatres and 500 cinemas
The world’s first public zoo first opened in 1829 in London (London Zoo)
London Underground was opened in 1863, it is the world’s first metro system
London has the largest library in the world: the British Library in King’s Cross, London, has over 170 million items in its catalogue
London Cab Drivers need to memorize every single street in London. Black Cabs don’t rely on Sat Nav
There are 43 universities in London