About London

London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom. 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. Londinium was founded
by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core and financial centre − an area of just
1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that
closely follow its medieval limits. The adjacent City of Westminster is an Inner London borough
and has for centuries been the location of much of the national government. Thirty one
additional boroughs north and south of the river also comprise modern London. London
is governed by the mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in
the region. Its estimated mid-2018 municipal population (corresponding to Greater London) was
8.908.081, the third-most populous of any city in Europe and accounts for 13.4% of the UK
population. London's urban area is the third most populous in Europe, after Moscow and Paris,
with 9.787.426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The London commuter belt is the second-most
populous in Europe, after the Moscow Metropolitan Area, with 14.040.163 inhabitants in 2016.
20InterestingHistoryFactsAboutLondonToTellYourFriends
20InterestingHistoryFactsAboutLondonToTellYourFriends
20InterestingHistoryFactsAboutLondonToTellYourFriends
Because we find stories about London everywhere, I chose to present some very interesting
information about this city, which maybe not everyone knows:

 1. Big Ben is not actually called Big Ben

Big Ben is arguably London’s most famous landmark. Surprisingly, it is actually meant to go
by the name ‘The Clock Tower’, while ‘Big Ben’ is the name of the bell.
2. It is not illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament

Despite popular belief, it isn’t illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. Although it is illegal to
enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour. According to gov.uk:

‘The issue of dying in Parliament appears to arise from the idea that anyone who dies in a Royal
Palace is eligible for a state funeral. We have not been able to trace any such law, and neither
have the House of Commons authorities.’

3. Police never caught Jack the Ripper

The identity of Jack the Ripper, London’s most notorious serial killer, has never been
discovered. Authorities at the time and ‘mystery solvers’ since the killings have suspected a
number of different people, however, including Prince Albert, Lewis Carroll and Queen
Victoria’s doctor; Sir William Gull.
4. The Great Plague killed a third of Europe’s population

The Great Plague killed roughly 25 million people, which was around a third of the entire
population of Europe in the 15th Century. This particularly affected London because of the
narrow streets and lack of sanitation. During this time, men known as Searchers shouted out
‘Bring out your dead’ all through the summer of 1665. They carted away dead bodies and threw
them in mass burial pits. Some of which Londoners are still discovering to this day.

5. The Tower of London houses six ravens

Charles II’s ordered for six ravens to be placed in the Tower of London to protect it. Apparently,
six ravens are still kept in the tower today and they must remain there at all times due to
superstitious reasons. For extra measures, each raven has a wing clipped, they even have a spare
raven handy in case one flies away.

6. The London Underground could have been water-based

We couldn’t create a list of facts about London without including the tube. When the London
Underground was first proposed, engineers suggested filling the tunnels with water and using
barges to float people from station to station, or getting an army of horses to pull the carriages
around in the dark. Evidently, they decided to opt for trains.

7. There were only six deaths in the Great Fire of London

The Great Fire in 1666 devastated London. While the fire reduced large parts of the city to ruins,
the verified death toll was only six people. However, the real number is unknown, as many more
died from indirect causes. Monument, the 203ft stone obelisk located 203 ft away from where
the fire broke out, commemorates those who died.

8. Black cab drivers are tested

In order for a person to become a black cab driver, they must complete a rigorous test called
‘The Knowledge’, which involves memorising every single street in the capital. Cab drivers can
spend years trying to learn it all. Some even walk around every part of the city as a way of
lodging all the side streets and back alleys in their brains.

9. London has a smallest statue

In a city filled with grand monuments and huge statues, it’s nice to know London has an official
smallest statue. Located on Philpot Lane, the statue of two tiny mice eating cheese is dedicated to
two builders who fell during construction of The Monument after an argument over a missing
sandwich, that they blamed on each other but was actually the fault of a
10. t Pauls Cathedral could have looked very different

One of Christopher Wren’s original ideas for St Paul’s Cathedral proposed a 60 foot stone
Pineapple in place of the now iconic dome. It’s a shame it didn’t happen, London’s skyline could
have done with a tropical feel.

11. he Queen lives in Buckingham Palace

Although she has many other royal residences, the Queen still sometimes resides in Buckingham
Palace. When she’s home, you can see her royal flag flying from the flagpole. This flag, which is
called the Royal Standard, must only be flown from buildings where the Queen is present.

12. Cleopatra’s Needle is a time capsule

Cleopatra’s Needle, the Egyptian artefact located on the Victoria Embankment, was erected in
1838. During this time many things were placed underneath, including a map of London, a copy
of the Bible, some daily newspapers, a rupee and 12 photographs of the best looking English
women of the time.

13. Feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square is banned

Trafalgar Square was once renowned for housing thousands of feral pigeons, which tourists often
fed or posed with. In 2003, London Mayor Ken Livingstone banned feeding them or selling feed
near the square. They even went as far as using a hawk to keep them at bay, which evidently
turned out to be successful.

14. London was home to many famous faces

Another for our facts about London, has to be the numerous famous people that have lived there.
Such as Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Sylvia Plath, Charles Dickens, Jimi Hendrix, Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, Florence Nightingale and 100’s of others. Blue plaques now hang where these
people lived.

15. The Millennium Dome is the biggest structure of its kind in the world

The Millennium Dome is so big that it can fit the Great Pyramids of Giza comfortably under the
roof! The structure is 365m in diameter; and 52m high in the middle; with 12 supporting poles,
symbolising days, weeks and months of the year.

16. Waterloo Tube Station is the busiest for public transport

1.265 billion people use the London Underground every year. That’s slightly more than the
population of India! No wonder it’s so hard to get a seat. According to TFL, the most popular
station is Waterloo, which sees 100.3 million passengers every year.
17. London has over 170 Museums

As well as the 300 languages spoken in London, the amount of museums in the capital adds to
the culture of this city. London boasts over 170 museums, from the massive British Museum,
London’s most popular tourist attraction, to the tiny Fan Museum in Greenwich.

18. Aldgate Station has 1000 bodies buried underneath it

Possibly the most disturbing in our facts about London is that 1000 bodies apparently lie under
Aldgate station, near Urbanest’s Tower Bridge property. Searchers most likely buried them
there en-mass after the Great Plague.

19. The London Eye Was Not The First Big Wheel in London

As our final shocker in our list of interesting facts about London, the London Eye was not the
first big wheel in London. In fact, The Great Wheel earns this title. This wheel was constructed
in 1895 for the Empire of India Exhibition. It was then sadly demolished in 1907, 91 years
before construction started on the London Eye.