London is the capital and the largest city of England, located in southeastern England along the River Thames. Being the capital, it is bustling with a rich history and with architectural masterpieces. It is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Some theories suggest that it was built by Romans in 50 AD and in the past it has been referred to with different names including Ludenberg, Londonium and Ludenwic. It is an amazing city to which millions of tourists flock to.
To know more about London, scroll down to discover some of the interesting facts about the charming London which you might have never heard before.
1. Home to the Tallest Ferris Wheel
The Millennium Dome with a diameter of 365 meters and 52 meters of height, is the biggest structure of its kind in Europe and 5th tallest in the world. It is also known as the London Eye and is located on the south bank of river Thames. It offers a panoramic view of the city starting from Buckingham Palace, Big Ben to the shard.It is called the Millennium Dome because it was made to celebrate the new millennium in 1999. Unlike other observation wheels in the world, it is supported by an A-frame on one side. The biggest misconception is that it's a Ferris wheel rather it's the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel.
2. Flying a Kite is Prohibited in London
Under section 54 of the Metropolitan Police act of 1839, it is illegal to fly kites in public areas like parks. This law was brought to prevent any kind of inconvenience or danger to the local people as well as any common nuisance. Any kind of violation of this law will lead to a penalty of 500 euros. In the letter of law, kites are considered as a form of aircraft and according to the Civil Aviation Authority kite flying groups and societies cannot fly kites above 200 meters and also they cannot fly kites in the aerodrome traffic zone .
3. Winnie-the-Pooh was a Real Bear in London Zoo
Winnie the Pooh was based on a real life female black bear who lived in ZSL London Zoo, although a cartoon made people believe otherwise. Winnie's real name was Winnipeg and she lived in the London zoo from 1915 until death in 1934. She was rescued by a Canadian soldier and a cavalry veterinarian Harry Colebourn. The author of the book, Lindsay Mattick is the granddaughter of the lieutenant Harry Colebourn.
4. Over 197 Festivals are Celebrated in London
More than 197 festivals are celebrated across the year in London including The Mayor's Thames festival, the largest free festival of London. The British summer festival which provides you with an opportunity to witness some of the Popular international singers like Bruno Mars, Paul Simon and Van Morrison is one of the biggest music festivals in London. SW4, the best music and dance festival of London held every year in month of August, the taste of london is the food festival of London which is organized by a series of food fests around the world, probably the best beer festival of London in the Great British Beer Festival .
5. The Smallest City in England is London
The city of London is the smallest city and county according to the local authority boundary in the UK, although it is not the smallest in terms of population or urban size. It is also known as a Square Mile because it is spread over an area of 1.2 square miles in size and is a home of approximately 9,123 people. The megacity that most of us know as London is "Greater London" and the city of London is a small portion of it. The great London is spread over an area of 606 square miles and is a home to around 8.7 million residents. Also Greater London is the capital and largest city in England.
6. There are Over 10,000 Foxes Living in the Capital
Urban foxes are a similar site in London and it is spotted at various places including choir stalls at St. Paul's Cathedral. There are approximately thirty three thousand urban foxes in Britain out of which one third resides in the capital and 250,000 live in rural areas. London has a lot of parks and houses with big private gardens thus, this place is a paradise for foxes. Estimates show around 10,000 foxes live in the city and they are adapted to share their habitat with humans and thus can be found in the center of the city as well. They are so common that 70% of the Londoners will have seen one fox in the previous week.
7. There are Subterranean Rivers That Lie Beneath London.
Where London is situated today, earlier it was a floodplain of the river Thames. Dozens of rivers and canals were buried beneath almost a century ago and a total of twenty one rivers were forced underground by the burgeoning city. Many of these hidden rivers still flow beneath the city's streets. The Tyburn river is one of them, it still flows directly under Buckingham Palace. The Walbrook was an important river that brought fresh water to the city and it was named so because it ran under or through the London wall, but now quietly flows through a tunnel under the Banks of Tunnel. The other better known river is The Fleet, vestiges of it can be traced in North London from a stream that flows from Hampstead and Highgate ponds but these days it has been turned into a sewer with a foul smell. All these rivers were funneled underground because of the development work started in the 19th century.
8. There were Only Six Fatal Casualties in the Famous Great Fire
From September 2 to September 5, 1666, The Great Fire broke in London that destroyed four- fifth of London including four of the city's seven gates, around thirteen thousand more houses, 89 churches and much more. The fire started at a bakery called Thomas Farriner and that bakery belonged to King's baker. However, despite the catastrophic effect, the verified death toll was only six people. Although many people have challenged this on the grounds that the deaths of the poor and the middle class were not recorded and many people also argue that the fire has destroyed everything including the dead bodies leaving no recognisable remains.
10. Time starts in London
Overlooking the river Thames and some of the magnificent views of the city, Greenwich Park which is an old Royal observatory. It is the reference point of the Greenwich Mean Time(GMT) or the point from where GMT is calculated.
11. London Hosted the Modern Olympics The Most
London, the capital of the United Kingdom, has hosted the most number of Summer Olympics Games. It is the first city to have hosted the modern Olympics three times in the year 1908 which were the fourth modern Olympics Games.
12. Most Billionaires in the World Live in London
When it comes to the number of resident billionaires, the USA and China dominate the world, while the only European country that makes them into London. According to the latest report, around one hundred seventy one billionaires live in the United Kingdom out of which eighty percent of the billionaires reside in London. The Sunday Times Rich lists that there are seventy two Londoners with a net worth of one billion or more, London was followed by Moscow with forty eight billionaires and then New York with forty three billionaires.
13.The London Underground Has its Own Subspecies of Mosquito
Like any other place, both the underground and above ground mosquitoes are thought to be the same species but this is not the case with the mosquitoes of London. In the London underground, genus Culex pipiens molestus is the form of mosquitoes found. These mosquitoes were first discovered during the second world war when people used these underground tubes as bomb shelters. These mosquitoes do not hibernate in winter as there is no season underground and are active all round the year. This subspecies that lives underground is also regarded as extra bloodthirsty mosquitoes as they have a nasty and irritable bite.
14. Cleopatra's Needle in London is Actually a Time Capsule
Cleopatra's needle, established in September 1878 which stands on London's Victoria Embankment, is a gift of the Egyptian Government and it is believed to be a symbol of immortality and eternity. Its actual name is Egyptian Obelisk but it is known as Cleopatra so needle because it came from the royal City of Cleopatra. The Victorian have installed a time capsule beneath it which contains an 1870 U.S census, a Bible, a guide to Egypt, a portrait of queen Victoria, a copy of the United states declaration of Independence and twelve paintings of " pretty ladies" that were chosen by Captain Henry Carter.
15. 300 Languages are Spoken in London
London is considered as one of the most diverse cities in the world. From the 1940s onwards London has seen immigrants from almost all parts of the world including Jamaica, Pakistan, Trinidad and India and mostly all of them practice their own traditions and communicate in their native language like Hokkien, Cantonese, Mandarin and others. London houses over 8.7 million residents which collectively speak more than 300 languages. Some of the top non-English languages are Polish, Punjabi, French, Turkish and Bengali. And with 300 plus languages spoken, London has the largest number of community languages in Europe.
16. Contrary to the Myth Dying in Parliament is not Illegal
The House of Parliament is situated inside the Palace of Westminster which is still considered a royal palace. The belief that it is illegal to die in Parliament is actually a pure myth. There is also a myth that anyone who dies in the royal palace will receive a state funeral. However, according to the Law Commission's Statute Law repeals team asserts that it is not illegal to die in the Parliament. Although any death in the palace lies under the jurisdiction of the coroner of the Queen's household. However, entering the Parliament House in London wearing a suit of armor is prohibited and it is not a myth.
17. Aldgate Station has 100 Bodies Buried Underneath
There are approximately two hundred forty stations in the city of London and one of them is Aldgate Station, near to the Urbanest's Tower bridge property. When the workers were constructing the station back in the 1860s, a huge plague pit was discovered. Reports suggest that these dead bodies were of the people who died in the Great Plague of London or the Bubonic Plague. The Great Plague led to the death of so many people that it became difficult to find coffins for them and thus they were buried uncovered together in a pit. The discovered burial site is forty feet long and sixteen feet wide and contains a thousand bodies and thus the Aldgate tube is believed to be built over the Bubonic Plague mass grave.
18. Feeding Pigeons at Trafalgar Square is Forbidden
In the earlier times, Trafalgar square used to be packed with pigeons and flocks of birds would come to eat the seed. Also there was a caravan on the square selling polystyrene cups for the birds. But now, it is illegal to feed pigeons in Trafalgar Square and seed sellers were also banned from the square. This decision came in 2003 when the London Mayor Ken Livingston and the GLA implemented this decision and also a penalty of fifty euros was set for doing so. According to some of the reports, this rule was implemented as the population of pigeons were continuously rising at this spot until 2003 and the bird's acidic poop was damaging Nelson's column and other structures.
19. London Buses were Not Always Red
The double decker buses are the ultimate symbol of London and its daily life. But these iconic symbols didn't always have this color and each bus had different colors with each color signifying different routes they travel. The story dates back to the 1900s when the city's transport system was influenced by different companies. So in order to show uniqueness, when the London General Omnibus Company took over the vanguard in 1908 named as the "General " fleet decided to paint its entire fleet red in order to distinguish itself from other competitors and since then it became a popular symbol. Before this the buses used to have colors like Lincoln Green but after the steps taken by the Omnibus Company the London buses have been red in color.
20. The Famous Serial Killer-Jack “The Ripper” was Never Caught
In 1888, grisly murders occurred in East London is attributed to a serial killer identified as Jack the Ripper who was London's most notorious serial killer. Joseph Lawende was a cigarette salesman who was believed to have witnessed Jack the ripper. Authorities and the mystery solvers have suspected over hundred people at one time or the other including Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence, Lewis Carroll and others.
21. Becoming Black Cab driver isn't Easy
Being a black cab driver is something to be proud of, as becoming a black cab driver in London is not an easy task as it takes years of training and studying and then passing the ultimate test known as "The Knowledge." It is a two- or four-year study course that contains The study of an incredible 25000 streets and 20000 landmarks in a radius of 20 miles, and it is one of the most demanding courses in the world as, on average, it takes twelve attempts before passing the test. Scientists have done research on both black taxi drivers and bus drivers, but the study shows that there is a huge difference in the growth of their minds. As the bus drivers have to remember only the simple straight lines, not like cab drivers.
22. The Palace of Westminster is the Largest in England
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is the biggest in England. It is the place where both houses, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meet for meetings. All the laws governing British life are debated and passed. From the middle of the eleventh century until 1512, the House of Westminster was home to kings and queens. It features three main towers. Of these, the largest and tallest is the 98.5-metre (323-foot) Victoria Tower, which occupies the south-western corner of the Palace. Westminster Hall and the St. Stephen's Crypt was the only place that managed to escape the great fire of 1834, in which a history of 700 years was destroyed.
23. Big Ben isn’t Actually the Name of the Tower
This giant clock tower, standing straight and tall at the corner of the Palace of Westminster, is one of the major tourist spots in London. Everyone visiting London has seen this giant tower. There are many confusions about the name of this tower, which makes it interesting too. The tower was named The Clock Tower until 2012, but after that, it was named the Elizabeth Tower to celebrate the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Many people call this tower Big Ben, but the confusion that lies here is that the clock is the thing that is called Big Ben because it is one of the biggest watches that chimes, and the name of the tower is the Elizabeth Tower.
24. The Queen Officially Lives in the Buckingham Palace
This palace has served as an official London residence since 1837 and presently is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although the queen had many royal residences, the queen spent the majority of her lifetime in the private quarters of this palace. These private quarters were the official residence of the queen since 1936. There is a flag called Royal Standard and you will have the site of this flag flying from the flagpole only when the queen is present. After the death, it is speculated that King Charles and his queen consort reside here.
25. London is Home to More Than 170 Museums
London's reputation as a city with the richest cultures is not only because of its multiculturalism but also because of the vast number of museums that the city has. Surprisingly, the city of London is home to 170 museums. Some of the most famous of these museums are The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, TATE Modern, and The Imperial War Museum. The interesting and amazing fact about these museums is that they all have free entries but only a small exhibit fee wherever it is applied. For those who love delving into history and museums, London is probably one of the best cities.
26. London is Considered a Forest Statistically
According to a UN definition, London can be classified as a forest. The 8.4 million trees that London has detoxifies the city, and the amazing fact is that London has one tree for every person staying in London. The Forestry Commission also supports this statement of the UN by calling London the biggest Urban Forest in the world. While it might not always seem like it, London is so packed with foliage that it’s technically a forest. That’s according to a United Nations definition that states that a forest is anywhere that has at least 20 percent trees. London’s a respectable 21 percent. While it might not always seem like it, London is so packed with foliage that it’s technically a forest. London’s a forest and it’s time we gave our trees some respect.
27. The Existence of the Tower of London is Said to Depended on Six Ravens Living in It
It is said and believed that the kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if any of the six Ravens residing here ever leave the tower. The names of the current Tower ravens are Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, Georgie, Edgar, and Branwen. To prevent the birds from flying away, one of their wings is clipped by the Ravenmaster. This does not hurt the ravens, nor does it harm them in any way. By unbalancing their flight, it ensures that they don’t stray too far from the Tower.
28. London is the Capital of Six Countries
London is no doubt the political hub, as it has all the important monuments, starting from The Westminster to city hall and the Mayor's office. All the important decisions relating to the expenditures of the country and the development of the nation are taken here. During the Second World War, Sir Winston Churchill led the nation from here. Due to the invasion of Hitler and the Nazis in European countries, the leaders of France, Poland, Holland, Belgium, and Norway took shelter here in London after being defeated by the Nazis. At that point in time, from 1939 to 1945, London was acting as the capital of six countries.
29. Some Streets in London Have Derogatory Names
The United Kingdom has numerous must see spots but many of these must see spots are located on the streets which are considered to have offensive or derogatory road names. More than twenty streets have explicit names that suggest What we are renowned for making it a curious spot for the Tourists. Some of them to name are Swallow Street, Melon Road, Fanny hands lane,copping close and others.
London is historically significant due to its existence since Roman times which has led to many weird and wonderful tales about the city. When exploring this remarkable city, make sure you notice all these facts about London.
