London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. With a population of nearly 9 million in 2022, and a wider metropolitan area of almost 15 million, it is the largest in Western Europe. Located on the River Thames in southeast England, London has been a major settlement for approximately 2,000 years. Founded by the Romans as Londinium, its core, the City of London, maintains its medieval boundaries and serves as a financial center. The City of Westminster hosts the national government and parliament. London experienced rapid growth in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city. The name "London" now refers to the metropolis surrounding the City of London, mainly within the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority since 1965.
Since 1902, Slazenger has provided tennis balls for Wimbledon, marking the oldest sponsorship in sport.
In 1903, London experienced its wettest year on record, with a total rainfall of 38.1 inches (969 mm).
The Ritz, a luxury hotel in London, opened in 1906.
In 1908, London hosted the Summer Olympics.
In August 1911, a temperature of 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) was recorded at the Greenwich station but was later disregarded as non-standard.
In 1912, London was the target of many attacks during the suffragette bombing and arson campaign, in which historic landmarks such as Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral were bombed.
In 1912, The Cave of the Golden Calf opened as a nightclub at 9 Heddon Street in London, and it gained a reputation for sexual freedom and tolerance of same-sex relations.
In 1914, London was still the target of many attacks during the suffragette bombing and arson campaign, in which historic landmarks such as Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral were bombed.
On 11 November 1920, the tomb of the Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey and the Cenotaph was unveiled.
The driest year on record in London was 1921, with a total rainfall of 12.1 inches (308 mm).
London was the world's largest city until about 1925.
On Christmas Eve in 1925, Winnie-the-Pooh debuted in London's Evening News, the character being based on a stuffed toy.
Since 1925, McVitie's has manufactured chocolate digestives, the nation's most popular biscuit for dunking in tea, at their Harlesden factory in north-west London.
In 1928, the largest cinema chain in the country, Odeon Cinemas, was founded in London by Oscar Deutsch.
In 1929, the Austin Motor Company began making hackney carriages (London taxis).
Introduced by the Met in 1929, the blue police telephone box (the basis for the TARDIS in the television series Doctor Who) was once a common sight throughout London.
In 1931, the record label EMI was formed in London, and Alan Blumlein, an employee, created stereo sound that year.
The Dorchester, a luxury hotel in London, opened in 1931.
Victoria Coach Station, London's coach hub, opened in 1932.
In 1933, the lines that formed the London Underground, as well as trams and buses, became part of an integrated transport system when the London Passenger Transport Board or London Transport was created.
In 1934, the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive was the first locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of 100 miles per hour (161 km/h).
The 'St Paul's Heights' protective policy, restricting high-rise development that would obstruct protected views of St Paul's Cathedral and other historic buildings, has been in operation by the City of London since 1937.
In 1939, Greater London's population highest since this year at 8.63 million.
The Battersea Power Station, built in 1939 by the river in the southwest of London, became a local landmark.
In 1947, the red double-decker bus first appeared in London with the AEC Regent III RT.
In 1948, Austin FX3 model of hackney carriages were introduced.
In 1948, London hosted the Summer Olympics.
In 1948, the film Oliver Twist was released.
The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been held in London since 1949.
In 1950, C.S. Lewis' first Narnia book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", which depicts the evacuation of children from London during the Second World War, was published.
In 1951, the film Scrooge was released.
Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap", the world's longest-running play, has been performed in London's West End since 1952.
In 1952, at King's College London, a team led by Rosalind Franklin captured Photo 51, which provided critical evidence in identifying the structure of DNA.
In 1952, the Great Smog occurred in London.
In 1953, the film Peter Pan was released.
In 1956, the Clean Air Act was established, ending the "pea soup fogs".
Founded in 1957, the BFI London Film Festival takes place over two weeks every October.
In 1958, Austin FX4 model of hackney carriages were introduced.
In 1958, author Michael Bond created Paddington Bear, a refugee found in Paddington station.
The London-set early slasher film Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell, was released in 1960.
Estimates for 1961 put the total non-White ethnic minority population at 179,109 comprising 2.3% of the population at the time
In 1961, the film One Hundred and One Dalmatians was released.
In 1962, Jim Marshall, a guitar amp engineer, founded Marshall Amplification in London.
In 1964, both the films My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins were released.
In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded and a new Greater London Council was created.
Since 1965, Greater London has been divided into 32 London boroughs in addition to the ancient City of London.
Since 1965, the metropolis around the City of London has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London.
In 1966, the film Blowup was released.
After homosexuality was decriminalised in England in 1967, gay bar culture became more visible in London.
In 1967, Barclays installed the first cash machine (ATM) in Enfield, North London.
In 1970, Victoria Coach Station was nationalised.
Estimates for 1971 put the White British population at 6,500,000 and 87% of the total population.
In 1971, the film A Clockwork Orange was released.
From 1973, during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, London was hit by bomb attacks by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, starting with the Old Bailey bombing.
In 1973, The Rocky Horror Show debuted in London, influencing countercultural and sexual liberation movements.
In December 1981, the temperature in London reached a low of −17.4 °C (0.7 °F) at Northolt.
In 1981, racial inequality was highlighted by the Brixton riot.
In 1986, the Greater London Council was abolished, leaving London without central administration.
In 1986, the film The Great Mouse Detective was released.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR), a more local metro system using smaller and lighter tram-type vehicles, opened in 1987, serving the Docklands, Greenwich, and Lewisham.
As of the 2021 census, 7.3% of London's total population had arrived prior to 1990.
As of the 2021 census, 5.7% of London's total population had arrived between 1991 and 2001.
Estimates for 1991 put the total non-White ethnic minority population at 1,346,119 comprising 20.2% of the population at the time
In 1992, Sir Adrian Cadbury produced the Cadbury Report, a code of best practice which served as a basis for reform of corporate governance around the world. The report was commissioned by the London Stock Exchange.
In 1993, remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found on the south River Thames foreshore.
In 1994, the opening of the Channel Tunnel connected London directly to the continental rail network, allowing Eurostar services to begin.
The ministerial post of Minister for London was created in 1994.
In 1999, the film Notting Hill was released.
In 2000, the Greater London Authority was created, providing central administration.
In 2000, the modern art collection moved to Tate Modern, a new gallery housed in the former Bankside Power Station, accessed via the Millennium Bridge.
The London Natural History Society suggests that 2000 species of flowering plant have been found growing in London.
As of the 2021 census, 10.4% of London's total population had arrived between 2001 and 2010.
In 2001, Greater London encompassed 611 square miles and had a population of 7,172,036, with a population density of 11,760 inhabitants per square mile. The London Metropolitan Region comprised 3,236 square miles with a population of 13,709,000 and a density of 3,900 inhabitants per square mile in 2001.
In 2001, Greater London had 27 million square meters of office space, with the City containing the most at 8 million square meters.
In 2001, foreign born mothers made up 43.3% of births in London.
During the 2003 European heat wave, prolonged heat caused hundreds of heat-related deaths in London.
In 2003, Kew Gardens, home to the world's largest collection of living plants, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
In 2003, a congestion charge was introduced in London to reduce traffic volumes in the city centre.
In 2003, a report indicated that London accounted for a quarter of the UK's entire leisure economy, with 25.6 events per 1000 people.
In 2003, the film Love Actually was released.
A survey in January 2005 claimed that more than 300 languages were spoken in London and more than 50 non-indigenous communities had populations of more than 10,000.
On 6 July 2005 London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics, and on 7 July 2005 three London Underground trains and a double-decker bus were bombed in a series of terrorist attacks.
In 2005, the film V for Vendetta was released.
By 2006, foreign born mothers made up 52.5% of births in London, becoming the majority.
The London Jewish Forum was set up in 2006 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.
From the third quarter of 2007, London's bus network became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced.
In 2007, the Mayor of London assumed responsibility for some local rail lines, which now form the London Overground network, adding to the existing responsibility for the London Underground, trams, and buses.
Since 2007, high-speed trains link St. Pancras International with Lille, Calais, Paris, Disneyland Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and other European tourist destinations via the High Speed 1 rail link and the Channel Tunnel.
Since June 2008, Transport for London has completely owned and operated Tramlink.
In 2008 Time magazine named London alongside New York City and Hong Kong as Nylonkong, hailing them as the world's three most influential global cities.
In 2008, London's economy was affected by the global financial crisis.
In 2008, the film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was released.
In June 2009, the first high-speed domestic trains started, linking Kent to London.
As of 2009, The Port of London handled 45 million tonnes of cargo each year.
In 2009, the average speed of a car in the rush hour in London was recorded at 10.6 mph (17.1 km/h).
In 2009, the combined revenue expenditure by London councils and the GLA amounted to just over £22 billion.
The launch of a bicycle hire scheme in London in July 2010 was successful and generally well received.
As of the 2021 census, 10.4% of London's total population had arrived between 2001 and 2010.
By 2010, London had recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, implemented new regulatory powers, and re-established its economic dominance.
In 2010, foundations of a large timber structure, dated to 4800–4500 BC, were found on the Thames' south foreshore downstream from Vauxhall Bridge.
In 2010, the combined revenue expenditure by London councils and the GLA amounted to just over £22 billion.
In 2010, the film The King's Speech was released.
Since 2010, an average of £1.2 billion is taken in revenue each year by the London bus network.
According to the 2011 census in London, the biggest decrease in method of transportation was seen within those who take the train and underground, declining from 22.6% in 2011 to 9.6% in 2021.
As of 2011, the Greater London Built-up Area had about 9.8 million inhabitants.
As of the 2021 census, 16.6% of London's total population had arrived between 2011 and 2021.
In 2011, London's continuous urban area had a population of 9,787,426 people.
In 2011, the mayor's statutory planning strategy was published as the London Plan, which was most recently revised.
In June 2012, London's first and only cable car, the London Cable Car, opened. It crosses the Thames and links Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks.
Before the 2012 Summer Olympics, £6.5 billion (€7.7 billion) was spent as part of an investment program to reduce congestion and improve reliability on the Underground network.
In 2012 London Hosted the Summer Olympics Games
In 2012, London hosted the Summer Olympics, making it the first city to host the modern Games three times.
The Lower Lea Valley in East London was developed into the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
In 2013, a report by the City of London Corporation declared London the "greenest city" in Europe, noting its 35,000 acres of public parks, woodlands, and gardens.
In February 2014, London was ranked as the European City of the Future in the 2014/15 list by fDi Intelligence.
A 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers report termed London the global capital of higher education.
In 2014, the screen adaptation of Paddington was released, featuring the calypso song "London is the Place for Me".
In 2014, there were fewer homicides compared to the 118 homicides in 2015.
In January 2015, Greater London's population was estimated to be 8.63 million, its highest since 1939.
According to the QS World University Rankings, London has the greatest concentration of top class universities in the world as of 2015.
In 2015, London was the top city in the world by visitor cross-border spending, estimated at US$20.23 billion.
In 2015, the top ten most-visited attractions in the UK were all located in London.
In 2015, there were 118 homicides, a 25.5 per cent increase over 2014.
As of 2016, the London metropolitan area had about 14 million inhabitants.
During the Brexit referendum in 2016, the UK as a whole decided to leave the European Union, but most London constituencies voted for remaining.
In 2016, tourism in London employed 700,000 full-time workers and contributed £36 billion a year to the economy.
Since 2016 Sadiq Khan is the mayor of London, the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital.
In 2017, London hosted the World Championships in Athletics for the first time.
In 2017, London was ranked as the top city for luxury store openings.
In 2017, Tramlink carried over 29 million people.
From the start of 2018 to mid April 2018, there were 50 murders in London.
In 2018, London ranked second in A.T. Kearney's Global Cities Index.
In 2018, in Outer London, children younger than 14 constituted 20.6% of the population, and in Inner London, 18%. The 15–24 age group was 11.1% in Outer and 10.2% in Inner London, those aged 25–44 years 30.6% in Outer London and 39.7% in Inner London, those aged 45–64 years 24% and 20.7% in Outer and Inner London respectively. Those aged 65 and over are 13.6% in Outer London, but only 9.3% in Inner London.
In 2018, the median age of London's residents was 36.5 years old, which was younger than the UK median of 40.3 years.
In 2019, London's bus network had over 2 billion commuter trips per year.
In 2019, London's gross regional product was £503 billion, around a quarter of UK GDP.
In January 2020, Britain's exit from the EU only marginally weakened London's position as an international financial centre.
In January 2020, London reported its highest atmospheric pressure of 1,049.8 millibars (31.00 inHg).
In the 2020 QS World University Rankings three of the world's top ten performing arts schools were based in London.
According to the 2021 Census, the largest religious groupings in London were Christians (40.66%), followed by those of no religion (20.7%), Muslims (15%), no response (8.5%), Hindus (5.15%), Jews (1.65%), Sikhs (1.64%), Buddhists (1.0%) and other (0.8%).
According to the 2021 census in London, 23.1% socially rent, 46.8% own their house, and 30% privately rent. 42.9% worked from home, and 20.6% drove to work. 46.7% had Level 4 qualifications or higher, and 16.2% had no qualifications.
According to the 2021 census, 53.8% of London's inhabitants were White, 22.2% were of Asian or mixed-Asian descent, and 15.9% were of Black or mixed-Black descent.
As of 2021, the majority of London's school pupils came from ethnic minority backgrounds, with 23.9% being White British, 14% Other White, 23.2% Asian, 17.9% Black, 11.3% Mixed, 6.3% Other and 2.3% unclassified.
Imperial College being the UK's leading university in the Research Excellence Framework ranking in 2021.
In 2021, approximately 56.8% of children born in London were born to mothers who were born abroad.
The 2021 census recorded that 3,575,739 people (40.6%) of London's population were foreign-born.
In May 2022, the Elizabeth Line (also known as Crossrail) opened. It is a new railway line running east to west through London and into the Home Counties with a branch to Heathrow Airport.
In July 2022, London recorded its highest temperature of 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) at Heathrow.
Homicide figures fell in 2022 with 109 recorded for the year, and the murder rate in London is much lower than other major cities around the world.
In 2022, the population of London was 8,866,180.
In the 2022 QS World University Rankings, Imperial College London is ranked No. 6 in the world.
As of 2023, London hosts Europe's largest concentration of higher education institutions, enrolling more than 500,000 students.
In 2023, London ranked second in the world rankings on the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI).
In 2023, the Department for Transport stopped funding Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) in London.
In 2023, the number of hotel rooms in London stood at 155,700 and is expected to grow to 183,600 rooms, the most of any city outside China.
As of June 2024, there are 75 members of Parliament (MPs) from London.
In the 2024–25 season, London has seven football clubs in the Premier League: Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
By 2050, there is concern among hydrological experts that households in London may run out of water due to climate change.
The lion Panthera leo is a large cat species native...
Christmas is an annual festival celebrated on December th commemorating...
Hong Kong is a densely populated special administrative region of...
Disneyland located in Anaheim California is a theme park and...
Football is a family of team sports centered around kicking...
News encompasses information about current events disseminated through various media...
22 days ago Shedeur Sanders, Browns QB, Ticketed for Speeding Over 100 mph: News
1 month ago Shields doubts Serrano's chances against Taylor; boxing legend calls Serrano stubborn before trilogy.
13 days ago Najee Harris among former Steelers poised for significant 2025 season success.
Casa Bonita is a renowned Mexican restaurant situated in Lakewood Colorado Established in it initially belonged to a chain of...
18 days ago XRP Soars, Rebounds, and Faces Profit-Taking Amid Regulatory Optimism: Market Analysis
20 days ago Judge Orders Release of Mahmoud Khalil, Anti-Israel Ringleader, on Bail
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet from the Sun...
KPop Demon Hunters is a animated musical fantasy action comedy...
Candace Owens is an American conservative and far-right political commentator...
Pam Bondi is an American attorney lobbyist and politician A...
Brian Fitzpatrick is an American politician currently serving as a...
A blue moon is defined in several ways most commonly...