History of London

London has a history that goes back more than 2,000 years. During this time, it has experienced plague, devastating fire, civil war, overwhelming aerial bombardment, and terrorist attacks, yet, it has still grown from a collection of riverside fishing villages to become one of the mercantile capitals of the western world.

In medieval mythology, London predated the Roman occupation of Britain as the town of Lud, but while there was prehistoric settlement along the Thames in the London basin, it was not until the Roman invasion in 43 AD that a permanent settlement was created. The occupying Romans quickly saw the military significance of its geographical location and established it as their headquarters, naming it Londinium.

Twenty years later, the Celtic[?] queen Boudicca, leading the Iceni[?], sacked (plundered) Londinium (c. 60 AD).

In 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city. Most of the rebuilding (including St. Paul's Cathedral) was done by Sir Christopher Wren.

During World War II, London, as many other British cities, suffered severe damage, being bombed extensively by the Luftwaffe as a part of the Blitz.

Places of note in London:

Tower of London

Houses of Parliament

Buckingham Palace

St. Paul's Cathedral

Westminster Abbey