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43
Roman London
The Romans invaded England in AD 43.They called London 'Londinium'.The Romans ruled in Britain until AD 410, when thy left Britain and London. -
550
The Anglo-Saxons
In the 6th century, Anglo-Saxons settled there and established their own city of Lundenwic* In AD 597 Christian missionairies arrived bringing with them a new faith. Christianity grew stronger in Anglo-Saxon Britain. In 604 AD a cathedral was founded in London and named after the apostle, Saint Paul -
842
The Vikings (The Danes)
Disaster struck London in AD 842 when the Danish Vikings looted London. They returned in AD 851 and this time they burned a large part of the town -
878
Vikings and the Saxons
King Alfred totally defeated the Danes in AD 878 and the country was split between the Vikings and the Saxons . The Danes took eastern England including London while Alfred took the South and West. There was a great fire in 961, followed by a plague and then another fire 20 years later. -
1042
Edward the Confessor - the last Saxon King
The Vikings and Saxons ruled jointly England until 1042, when Edward the Confessor became King of both the Vikings and the Saxons. -
1066
William, Duke of Normandy
When the Saxon King Edward the Confessor died in 1066, he left no heirs, kicking off a three way battle for the English crown. You can read about it here.
William, Duke of Normandy, won the fight for the crown and marched on from the Battle of Hastings to London. He was crowned king at Westminster Abbey on 25 December 1066 -
1200
13th Century London
By the 13th century London had a population of 80,000, making it one of the largest cities in Europe.
London was home to Englands first parliament, as well as the law courts and the Exchequer that organised the royal finances.
The Church was London's biggest landowner and its biggest employer. -
1348
14th Century London
London experience one disaster after another with the most deadly being the Black Death, brought over by rats on ships from Europe. This bubonic plague wiped out half of all Londerners in just 18 months, and it took 150 years for the population to recover. -
1485
Tudor London
Henry VII became King in 1485, followed by Henry VIII. They were the first Tudor kings -
1536
King Henry VIII
King Henry VIII created palaces such as St James. He is also famous for closing the cities monasteries in 1536, after the Roman Catholic church refused to grant him a divorce. -
1558
Elizabeth l
During the reign of Elizabeth l, London was wealthy and successful city. Theatre became popular, helped by the arrival of playwright William Shakespeare sometime between 1585 and 1593 -
Queen Victoria
In 1837, Victoria became Queen at the age of 18. The time while she was Queen is called the Victorian era. London was busy with trade and industry, and it grew fast. By the time Victoria died in 1901, London was a very different city. -
Underground railway ('The Tube')
The World first Underground railway ('The Tube') opened in 1862. At first carriages were pulled by steam trains. -
The Twentieth Century
London grew even bigger in the twentieth century. Many more people went to live in the city suburbs and travelled to work by train, bus or car. The city changed too, with new buildings replacing those damaged by bombs during the war years.
The First World War
The First World War began in 1914. The first air raid hit London on 1915 and during the war over 835 people were killed in air attacks. -
Millennium London
At the start of the new millennium, London continues to grow. It now has a population of over seven million, making it by far the biggest city in Britain.
