Historical events

Roman London
London was born in 43 AD, when the Romans built Londinium on the north side of the Thames.

Norman Conquest (1066)
The last successful conquest of England was William the Conqueror’s Norman invasion of 1066.

Peasant’s Revolt (1381)
The Peasant’s Revolt, led by Wat Tyler in 1381, almost cost Richard II his throne.

Gunpowder Plot (1605)
The Gunpowder Plot was an infamous attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up King James I in 1605.

Great Fire of London (1666)
The Great Fire of London started on the 2nd September 1666, and burnt four-fifths of the city.

Great Exhibition (1851)
The Great Exhibition of 1851 was housed in the Crystal Palace, and was the brainchild of Prince Albert.

General Strike (1926)
The General Strike of 1926 brought the country to a standstill, until it was defeated by the Government.

The Blitz (1941)
The Luftwaffe’s aerial bombardment of British cities began in the summer of 1940.

The Coronation (1953)
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation took place in 1953, following the death of her father, King George VI.

Swinging Sixties
The Swinging Sixties – when London led the world in fashion, art and music.

Poll Tax Riots (1990)
The Poll Tax Riots took place on the 31st March 1990, in protest against Thatcher’s Community Charge.

31st January – 13th April 2009
The Royal Acadamy of Arts' new Andrea Palladio exhibition celebrates the Italian architect's birth 500 years ago. Palladio gave his name to a whole new style of building -- Palladian -- which can be seen in the Royal Academy's own courtyard.

29th January – 27th March 2009
The British Museum's new exhibition is called "Treasures of Shanghai: Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Jades", and boasts sixty pieces from China's Shanghai Museum. It is being held to mark London's Shanghai Week.

25th December 2008, 11 AM & 2 PM
What better way to walk off your dinner than with a sightseeing stroll around London -- on Christmas Day! You will be in the company of Samuel Pepys and Charles Dickens, and each walk promises to be full of festive cheer.

4th December 2008
Spend an evening in the company of the historian Simon Schama at the Royal Geographic Society, as he discusses his brand new book and accompanying BBC TV series "The American Future - A History".

3rd December 2008
The State Opening of Parliament is a great chance to catch the Queen in all her pomp. She rides from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in her gold state coach, attended by members of the Household Cavalry. If you want to see a traditional ceremony packed with history, then get down to Whitehall on the 3rd December.

1st – 20th December 2008
"A Dickens of a Christmas" takes place in the atmospheric Victorian vaults under London Bridge, where Dickensian London comes to life in a 4-course meal with champagne, carol singers and Charles Dickens himself.

14th November – 19th April 2009
The Natural History Museum is putting on a new Charles Darwin exhibition to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth. The exhibition contains everything from his notebooks and fossils, to the personal letters he sent home to his family.

13th November – 15th March 2009
The British Museum is holding a major new exhibition on the ancient city of Babylon. History exhibits range the Ishtar Gate, the Tower of Babel and a genuine wonder of the ancient world -- the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

31st October – 1st March 2009
The "Taking Liberties" exhibition at the British Library explores the issue of human rights and civil liberties. It collects together a wealth of material from the famous Magna Carta, the 1832 Great Reform Act, and the Good Friday Agreement. There will also be a series of special events and talks, relating to human rights and civil liberties.