london facts and information

 

Aside from fish and chips and tea, London boasts centuries’ worth of rich history and culture. With its historical dimensions retained, locals also refer to the City of London as the “Square Mile.”. Police officers had to manually turn the lamps to face the appropriate direction. The name Big Ben officially refers to the bell inside the tower, and not the tower itself. What’s a list of London facts without a dose of its more mysterious and dark history? The time capsule contained hairpins, a map of London, cigars, newspapers, children’s toys, British coins, a portrait of Queen Victoria, and even 12 photographs of the best-looking English women at the time. What to see in London. Although it’s one of the most-visited tourist attractions in London, the interior of the Elizabeth Tower isn’t open to overseas visitors. Tower Bridge. As a result, the sunlight could even melt parts of a car parked nearby and damage parts of a shop in the vicinity. Facts and Information about London. This tower is also among the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites of London. Read also: 50 Amazing Venice Facts About This Beautiful Canal City. The Gherkin. The copyright first expired 50 years after Barrie’s death, but the government of the UK granted the hospital a perpetual right to the royalties from all performances and publications of Peter Pan. London’s most popular tourist attractions include the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, the Tower Bridge, and Big Ben. London is a beautiful place and perfect travel destination. This is certainly one of the London facts that serve as a testament to the city’s amazing diversity. Romans first settled on the City of London in 47 CE. and 4,500 B.C.E. Typically, early sources referred to London in many different variations, such as the Latin Londinium, Old English Lunden, and the Welsh Llundein. Now, the London Underground network spans 250 miles (402 km). The People of London. London is the largest city in Europe. However, the Queen follows the tradition of announcing her arrival to the Lord Mayor before entering the City. London tube ready to depart. To build the streets and various structures in the metropolis of London, people had to cover some tributaries of the River Thames and River Lea. The story claims that the name originated from the ancient King Lud, who supposedly conquered the city and named it Kaerlud. There is a long history of old kings receiving animals as gifts and keeping them as symbols of prestige and power. Set above the clock face is the Ayrton Light, which lights up whenever the Parliament is in session after dark. London is atop of a huge underground river network. It is the longest river in England and the second longest river in the United Kingdom. With an immigrant population of 2,998,264 people, London is the city with the second-highest population of immigrants in terms of absolute numbers. The light was installed because of Queen Victoria – she wanted to see from Buckingham Palace if the members of Parliament were sitting. The serial killer responsible for these murders is known only as “Jack the Ripper”, and the police were never able to identify the person. Popularly known as the Walkie Talkie building, this structure at 20 Fenchurch Street certainly has a unique shape. The Tower of London is one of the city’s most famous historical landmarks, and has a fascinating history. How’s that for cool London facts? Required fields are marked Facts about London for kids. 17. How’s that for fascinating London facts? At the height of World War II, the Germans conducted massive raids and bombings in London during the Blitz. While London is quite a big city, the City of London only spans around 1.2 square miles. It is also the United Kingdom’s largest city. A major, Another one of the most interesting London facts is that the Tower of London was once home to many exotic animals, including a, On October 17, 1814, the London Beer Flood occurred because of an accident at Meux & Co’s Horse Shoe Brewery, London. We are bringing you some fun facts about London, the second most-visited city in the world. One of the most iconic landmarks in London is a famous bridge named Tower Bridge, which is named after the Tower of London and crosses the River Thames just next to it. You can read more examples of London's triskaidekaphobic tendencies here . a. The Bethlem Royal Hospital, or more popularly, Bedlam, is a psychiatric hospital that housed people with mental illnesses. According to a census in 2011, more than a third of Londoners were actually foreign-born. Unfortunately, five of the victims were just attending a wake of a 2-year-old boy. London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. Key Facts about London. The story claims that the name originated from the ancient King Lud, who supposedly conquered the city and named it Kaerlud. Its construction started in 2009 and finished in 2012, and it has been the tallest building in the UK ever since. Especially during the 16th and 17th centuries, the Tower’s prison inspired the phrase “sent to the Tower.” Its most prominent prisoners during this period were Elizabeth Throckmorton, Sir Walter Raleigh, and even Elizabeth I before she became queen. Transport. Many regard the 18th-century cathedral as the masterpiece of the renowned architect and scientist Christopher Wren. London has the highest concentration of higher education institutes (such as colleges and universities) in Europe. Another popular rumor claims that it’s illegal for commoners to die in a Royal Palace, but this is also a myth. His son even placed a dedication to him nearby, stating, “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you.”. Annual Events. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially listed this site as a World Heritage Site in 2003. How’s that for your fun London facts? Most notably, King Henry III received a “pale bear” or “white bear,” likely a polar bear, and kept it outside the Tower of London and let it hunt for fish in the River Thames. London had a population of ½ million inhabitants in the mid-17th century when it was the largest city in England. It was built as a royal palace and a defence system. Christopher Robin Milne even named his teddy bear “Winnie the Pooh.” Eventually, his father, A. does live in the London Underground, it existed long before the construction of the railway system. BASIC FACTS AND INFORMATION. Today is London History Day, so in order to celebrate we wanted to explore some of the strange, outrageous and hilarious facts about London that are, nonetheless, absolutely true. Set above the clock face is the Ayrton Light, which lights up whenever the Parliament is in session after dark. This earned her a lot of fans — most notably, Christopher Robin Milne, the inspiration for the character Christopher Robin. 16. Every evening, the world’s oldest extant military ceremony takes place in the Tower of London as the Tower officers lock the main gate for the night. #1 Oldest Subway in the World. London Tube stations used to have a ‘stand on the right’ escalator rule until it was thankfully scrapped in 2015. For this test, they’re required to know every major place in London, every single street, as well as the fastest possible routes to get there. In satellite photographs the metropolis can be seen to sit compactly in a Green Belt of open land, with its principal ring highway (the M25 motorway) threaded around it at a radius of about 20 miles (30 km) from the city centre. However, Bedford College opened its doors to women in higher education earlier than that. Before the advent of modern electric traffic lights, the traffic lights made use of gas to light up. This is one of the London facts you can’t miss if you’re planning a tour in the city. This means that rainy weather would be more likely in Barcelona, New York City, Paris, and even Sydney. Transporting up to 5 million passengers in a single day, the London Underground is a busy transit system,. An amazing fact about this London skyscraper is that its shape allows its glass to act as a concave mirror, which could focus the rays of, Among the more confusing London facts is that London differs from the City of London. Erected in 1892, Little Ben now stands at the intersection of Victoria Street and Vauxhall Bridge Road in Westminster, Central London. Aside from St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Zoo, one of the most popular attractions in London in the 16th to the 18th century was actually a psychiatric hospital. The, One of London’s nicknames, the “Big Smoke,” originates from the Great Smog of London in 1952. As per the UN definition, London can be classified as a forest thanks to its high concentration of green areas. One of the most important London facts you have to remember before you visit is that the iconic clock tower attached to the Palace of Westminster is not the Big Ben. Eventually, civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette proposed a sewage system that put a stop to the Great Stink and the cholera outbreak that plagued London. The city has been the subject of intrigue for millennia and now remains one of the most influential. This site also defines the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and its globally-used successor, the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom; London is the largest city in the United Kingdom. In 1849, Bedford accepted women to study in college, making it the first in the world to offer higher education to women. 15 Interesting Facts About London 1. Winnie went with Colebourn all the way to England, with Colebourn deciding to put her in the custody of the London Zoo before leaving for France. Facts about London. There is another popular myth about London that states that the Great Fire put an end to the Great Plague. It is hard to determine the exact surface of London. The palace holds most of the important state occasions and is often the center of national celebrations and mourning. Its residents are often referred to as “Londoners”. The Forestry Commission also recognized London as an urban forest in 2019. One of the London facts that sports fans have to know is that the city was the first to host the modern Olympic Games three times. During the Gin Craze, gin consumption skyrocketed and led to an epidemic of drunkenness among Londoners. In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, the City Corporation ordered the killing of cats and, In total, The City Corporation ended up killing around 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats. It was originally the residence of John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, from which it takes its name. The population in 2016 is estimated to be as much as 8.63 million. Big Ben Is Not The Name For The Tower It is a very common mistake, but Big Ben is actually not the name for the... 2. The light actually was quite effective in controlling traffic, but its life was short. Towering at 1,016 ft (310 m) tall with 72 habitable floors and an observation deck, The Shard is definitely a must-see. View of London from Sky Garden. It wasn’t until the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) painted all of its buses red to make it stand out from other bus companies. Read also: 40 Interesting Wuhan Facts You Probably Never Knew About. That is where the Romans founded the city of Londinium shortly after they arrived in 43AD. Another interesting fact about London is that in 1888, during the construction on New Scotland Yard, a woman’s body with no head or limbs was found in the foundations. Your email address will not be published. When Germany conquered various parts of Europe, London became the temporary capital of Belgium, Poland, Norway, and France. In 2002, a study revealed that some parts of the London Underground had an air quality around 30 times worse than the average London street. Although it’s one of the most-visited tourist attractions in London, the interior of the Elizabeth Tower isn’t open to overseas visitors. These individuals each have a net worth of more than 30 million US dollars. In the summer, however, it adjusts to British Summer Time (BST; GMT+1) to account for Daylight Savings Time. 01 Romans first settled on the City of London in 47 CE. 28. This is around twice the equivalent distance of the circumference of the Earth, which is 24,901 mi (40,075 km)! Although Romans settled in the City of London in the common era, one of the most interesting London facts is that humans inhabited it as far back as 4,800 B.C.E. 10 Facts About London You Probably Didn’t Know. When in London, a popular way to get around is through riding a black cab or London taxi. Our guide Anna went on a Moscow tour to beat the autumn swarm and here is what she learnt about the city. Great Britain, especially London, had a Gin Craze in the first half of the 18th century. A major air pollution event, the Great Smog formed when a thick fog combined with coal exhausts from factories. The city stands on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea.London has been a major settlement for two millennia, and was originally called Londinium, which was founded by the Romans. Three Egyptian obelisks share the name “Cleopatra’s Needle,” and each of them stand in New York City, Great Britain, especially London, had a Gin Craze in the first half of the 18th century. 2. Being the oldest metro system in the world, the London Underground has certainly gone through a lot of major changes. Alarmingly, many of these facts fly in the face of everything you thought you knew about the city. However, London is actually one of the world’s greenest cities, with around 8.3 million trees and 8.6 million people living within 600 square miles. Because of the Great Stink, however, people had to develop a much better sewage system to avoid the stench or the possible negative effects of the miasma. London’s total gross value added (GVA) in 2018 was £487 billion ($624 billion). Interesting Facts. Because the City of London has its own rules and customs, there is a pervasive myth that even the ruling monarch can’t enter the City of London without the permission of the Lord Mayor. This is one of the more controversial London facts that you have to know. This event garnered significant media attention and earned the building some nicknames such as the “Walkie Scorchie” or the “Fryscraper”. One popular explanation comes from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 1136 publication, Historia Regum Britanniae. Aside from fish and chips and tea, London boasts centuries’ worth of rich history and culture. Their herbarium also contains more than 8.5 million preserved specimens of plants and fungi — making it one of the largest in the world. Most, if not all, of the 11 victims were prostitutes that suffered grisly mutilations. First enacted in 1313, this law prohibits wearing armor to all Parliaments, Treatises and other Assemblies in London. London at night. Originally, Winnie was supposed to go to the Assiniboine Park Zoo back in Winnipeg, but Winnie became such a well-loved member of the London Zoo that Lt. Colebourn let her stay there. London Basic. The Tower was founded by William the Conqueror towards the end of the 1066. Because London is famous for its high-rise buildings and busy streets full of cars, it’s a bit far-fetched to think that this city is a forest. . Since 2017, a part of the Mail Rail in Phoenix Place, London has been open for public viewing as the Postal Museum. London … In 1878, the University of London became the first in the UK to open and grant its degrees to women. One of the most essential London facts is that the city boasts a large diversity of plants and animals. Fortunately, this event eventually led to major changes in the management of air quality in London. The London Underground mosquito got its name from the fact that it swarmed the Londoners seeking shelter in the London Underground during the Blitz. On average, London is home to around 10,000 red foxes that roam the city’s streets. Your email address will not be published. Upon the re-erection of Cleopatra’s Needle in London in 1878, a time capsule was placed in the front of the pedestal. The tradition of having at least six Tower ravens dates back to the Victorian era, with the earliest known record of the six ravens dating back to 1883. One of London’s nicknames, the “Big Smoke,” originates from the Great Smog of London in 1952. As the tallest building in the United Kingdom, The Shard stands in Southwark, London. Although the London Underground mosquito (Culex pipiens molestus) does live in the London Underground, it existed long before the construction of the railway system. After Wren’s death, he was entombed inside the cathedral. But there is a lot more to Hyde Park than just what meets the eye. London is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Before you go, here are fun facts about London to read on the plane. This is around twice the equivalent distance of the circumference of the, Although the London Underground mosquito (. ) In total, The City Corporation ended up killing around 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats. . If you’re a fan of the fantasy novels and films of Harry Potter, this is certainly one of the London facts you can’t miss. It can take up to 3 years to study these routes, so you can always trust that they know the city like the back of their hands! Securing the rights to Peter Pan made this children’s hospital entitled to the royalties from performances and publications of Peter Pan. mosquito. Taking place near the end of the centuries-long Second Pandemic, it claimed the lives of around 80,000 to 100,000 people in 18 months. Palace of Westminster. Here are 10 Tower of London facts. almost 4.800 per square km. However, in more common usage, the name also extends to the tower. Buckingham Palace. On January 2nd, 1869, less than a month after its installment, one of the gas lines had sustained a leak. Because Winnie was a gentle and tame bear, children even got to feed her and ride on her back. As the LGOC eventually became the largest bus company, the convention of painting buses red became the norm, leading to the iconic red buses of London. The mayor of London and the London Assembly govern the city. London Eye. During the height of, 50 Amazing Venice Facts About This Beautiful Canal City, Oftentimes, when tourists think of London, they imagine a gloomy city where it’s constantly raining. London is situated in southeastern England, lying astride the River Thames some 50 miles (80 km) upstream from its estuary on the North Sea. The London Underground, which locals often refer to as “the Tube”, is a railway system that connects the Greater London region to various other parts of the United Kingdom. Directly translating to “sink” or “cause to sink,” the Celtic word referenced how the place experienced frequent flooding from the River Thames. The local legend states that King Charles II ordered for the placement of six ravens in the Tower of London to protect it. Fortunately, workers of the building have now installed a “sunshade” on its windows to deflect the sun’s rays. In recent research, archaeologists found artifacts of human settlements dating back to the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Standing on the north bank of the River Thames in London, the Tower of London was erected as part of the Norman Conquest of England. London Underground was opened in 1863 for locomotive trains. This caused the traffic light to explode, injuring the police officer operating it. An amazing fact about this London skyscraper is that its shape allows its glass to act as a concave mirror, which could focus the rays of sunlight onto a nearby street. Before officially earning their licenses as black cab drivers, they have to pass an extremely difficult test, ominously called The Knowledge. Its population grew from about 1 million people in 1800, to about 6.7 million in 1900 although many of the city’s residents lived in poverty. In the past, people referred to the tower as the “Clock Tower.” Its official name was then changed to “Elizabeth Tower” in 2012, marking the  Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. What you think of London is actually just a small... 3. Quick Facts about London. Before officially earning their licenses as black cab drivers, they have to pass an extremely difficult test, ominously called, The Great Plague of London lasted from 1665 to 1666, as the last outbreak of the bubonic plague. As one of the most diverse cities in the world, London houses over 8 million residents, who collectively speak over 300 languages, including Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien and of course English. It underwent significant renovations and enlargements in the 19th century and became the official residence of the monarchy upon the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The Great Fire of 1666, though thankfully didn’t result in hundreds of deaths, did destroy four-fifths of the city’s buildings . Dating back to the Middle Ages, the Ceremony of the Keys is an ancient traditionthat has never been cancelled, not even once.