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The Great Fog
The burning of coal for domestic and industrial use resulted in a series of fogs because of soot-based particles in the atmosphere. -
Guildhall Library opens
The original Guildhall Library existed between 1425 and 1549. Now a new Library opens. Its collections relate mainly to the City, Southwark and Middlesex. It is for the benefit of Members of the City Corporation and accredited students. The library develops into a major reference library for London history and English local studies. -
Mr Shillibeer’s Omnibus
George Shillibeer set up the first regular passenger bus route running from Bank in the City to Paddington. The fare for the whole journey on this horse-drawn omnibus was 1 shilling and 6 pennies for inside passengers and 1 shilling for those sitting outside on top. The fares are important as many of the victims were low on money, and couldn't afford public transport -
The New London Bridge is opened
King William IV and Queen Adelaide open the new London Bridge built by Sir John Rennie. It has taken seven years to build and is considerably wider than the medieval London Bridge it is replacing. -
Fenchurch St Station
The London and Blackwall Railway open the first railway terminus in the City of London at Fenchurch Street. No steam locomotives are used on this line until 1849 so trains have to be dragged from Blackwall to Minories by cable and then have to reach Fenchurch Street by their own momentum. Gravity and a helping hand from station staff enable trains to leave the platform. -
First public lavatory erected in London
The first modern public lavatory is erected at 95 Fleet Street. It is for men only and is discreetly called a ‘public waiting room.' -
London divided into postal districts
To facilitate the postal service, London is divided into ten districts. Each district is given a letter code, for example, N, S, EC or NW and residents are encouraged to add the district letter(s) to their address. -
Opening of the first Underground Railway
The Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first underground railway, opens, running between Paddington and Farringdon. In the first six months of its operation, an average of nearly 28,000 passengers daily make the 18-minute journey. -
Abolition of Public Hangings at Newgate
The last person to be executed in public outside the gates of Newgate Prison is Michael Barrett. He had been one of the men responsible for a bomb attack on the Clerkenwell House of Detention in 1867. -
Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel Murders
A mysterious killer, styled ‘Jack the Ripper’ by newspapers, murders and mutilates women in the East End of London during the summer and autumn of 1888. No one is ever convicted of these murders and the Ripper’s true identity remains unknown.