The History of the City of London

London, England’s roots stretch back to the Roman Empire. Migration from Europe to England began around 500,000 B.C. It is thought that the marshes and forests of what is now London were inhabited as far back as 5,000 B.C.

It was the Roman Empire that would develop a small military storage depot into a bustling, thriving port city. The first London Bridge, crossing the River Thames was built by the Romans and made from wood. The collapse of the Roman Empire brought the end of any recorded history of London from 457 A.D. to 600 A.D.

Saxons had gradually moved into the area sometime during the period. The Saxons rebuilt London into a flourishing trading city. The Danes sacked and burned the city in the ninth century. London, then called Lundenburg, was rebuilt under King Alfred the Great’s reign at the end of the ninth century and would come under English Kings’ control beginning 911 A.D. Westminster Abbey's illustrious history began in 960 A.D. and would be the stage of William the Conqueror’s coronation after his victory at the Battle of Hastings.

Medieval London would produce the first record of a mayor in 1193. The Knights Templar constructed the Round Church near the Thames during this time period. The city would see a flurry of church building during the 13th century. In the 14th century during Edward III’s reign, London became the capital of England and ranked with the major cities of Europe in population.

A large band of Londoners participated in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Londoners were not only fighters they were theatre goers and gathered in Southwark to see plays by Shakespeare. The 1600’s would be scarred by two events that delivered severe blows to the city.

In 1665, London lost over 68,000 people to the Great Plague. They perished from disease infested fleas. Rats transported the fleas as they foraged in the garbage in the city’s streets. As many as 13,000 deaths were recorded at the height of the plague in August. The following year in 1666, a fire started at the bakery that served King Charles II. The bakery was located near London Bridge. The water wheel at the bridge was destroyed hampering efforts to squelch the fire that rapidly destroyed over 80 percent of the city. In the process of destroying the city, the Great Fire rid the city of many of the rats and infested fleas.

London rebuilt and grew during the 1700’s and 1800’s. By the end of the 1800’s the population of the city was approximately 3.0 million. Additional bridges were built across the River Thames. Public railways were built to connect London to other cities. The city became responsible for street lighting. A city police force was established to deal with widespread crime in the city. The infamous London fogs were a result of large scale coal burning. The Natural History Museum opened to the public in 1881. The streets of the city were home to Queen Victoria’s Silver Jubilee at the end of the century.

World War I, 1914-1918, brought Zeppelins to London. The German bombing campaign did not prove nearly as successful as Hitler’s 76-consecutive night Blitz bombing of London in World War II, 1939-1945. The city, once again, rose from the rubble and boasts a population today of over 7.5 million.

London is the capital of England and a major European city. It has a long and rich history. Pestilence, fires and enemies have tried to destroy this city many times only to be foiled by its spirit to survive.