The capital and largest city of Great Britain - London - is a special place that attracts Russian billionaires and tourists from all over the Earth. This city has a good comfortable life, climate, loyalty to its traditions, unique museums, etc. But this city is comfortable for those who have money.
Those who have been in London never forget about their experiences - after all, double-decker buses drive around here, there are unforgettable old buildings of the Victorian era, in search of which you can wander for hours, of course, without getting tired, because there are a lot of interesting things along the way!
If you have not yet been inspired by London, we suggest that you learn about 10 interesting facts about this metropolis that attracts talented people. Most interesting stories have been written and continue to be written about the streets of this city ...
10. Founded by the Romans in 43 C.E.
London at the beginning of the XVIII century began to bear the status of the capital of Great Britain. There are several legends of how this city was formed. And so far they have not been confirmed by either historians or researchers. But it is generally accepted that It was founded in 43 A.D.
The Romans invaded Britain, led by Emperor Claudius. At first, London was a tiny town that was destroyed several times (especially in 1666 in a fire that was so terrifying that it destroyed 80% of the city. The cause of the fire is pretty commonplace - fire from an improperly extinguished stove in one of the bakeries spread to neighboring buildings )
9. Londinium was the capital of Roman Britain
Londinium arose in the year 43 C.E. as a result of the conquest of territories by the Romans. For the first time he received metropolitan status in the third century. - Then Britain was divided into Upper and Lower.
Londinium was the capital of Upper Britain. Although the coming years (and even centuries) prepared the city for severe trials: epidemics, fires, the economic crisis, etc., each time, one could say, the Londinium rose from its knees, regaining the status of the municipal center of the planet.
8. In became a target for terrorists
In 1970, London was first attacked by a rebel group. These attacks were not an isolated case - they were repeated until the end of the 20th century, after which IRA replaced al-Qaeda (terrorist organization number 1 in the world).
The group carried out a series of explosions on July 7, 2005, which was implemented in public transport. 14 years ago, four suicide bombers detonated explosive devices in their backpacks. As a result, 52 people died, and more than 700 were injured.
7. The city hosts annual Fashion Week
Fashion Week is a very famous event at the moment. It was first held in New York in 1943, it was only then called in a different way - the week of the press. London Fashion Week has always attracted great public attention with its shocking, racy, originality, etc..
London has always been famous for being a launching pad for talented and breakthrough designers who are just starting to take their first steps on a high podium.
Pay attention to these names: Halpern, Rejina Pyo, Matty Bovan. Each show that takes place annually during the week is a real event! Designers are trying to get the attention of the press and an enthusiastic audience. It is worth noting that someone still succeeds in doing this.
For reference: To get to London Fashion Week, you need accreditation or a personal invitation.
6. Refers to global cities of the highest rank
As a rule, a global city is of key importance for large regions of our planet and has a significant impact on them from different areas: political, economic, cultural, etc.
London is a leading financial center for international business. In addition, the city is recognized as a world leader in gold trading.
British writer Herbert Wells enthusiastically wrote: "This city is the most beautiful, interesting, amazing ...", Which, undoubtedly, was right. Everyone finds work here, according to their rank, immigrants have no problems with this either. It is pleasant to live, work and do business here.
5. 12 thousand people were killed due to "pea soup"
At the beginning of the XX century in 1952, London was drowning in smog ... The fog was not white, but yellow and very thick. People could not see anything at a distance of a meter. It was formed due to the combination of dense fog and exhaust gases, fireplace smoke and soot - London newspaper men called him "pea soup".
But he turned out to be poisonous, taking away 12,000 people into the next world ... Hundreds of thousands of people were hospitalized. The fog lasted 4 days, visibility was almost zero, but most of the deaths were caused by infections of the respiratory system. Residents were not shocked by what was happening, because fogs in London are not uncommon.
4. The first zoo appeared in London
In 1828, a zoo was opened in the city. It was founded by Thomas Stamford Ruffles. Already in 1847, curious visitors could enter at his door.
This beautiful zoo has a lot of different animals - there are over 16,800 and 755 species! To taste the charm of the zoo, you need to allocate at least 3 hours (or even more) to stay. The museum is ready to provide visitors with almost any animal! However, here you will not see large species of animals - in 2001 they were transported to the Whipsneyd Zoo.
For reference: Zoo address: Outer Cir, Regent’s Park.
3. Indigenous people from different parts of London have their own emphasis
In London, in addition to standard English, there are at least 37 accents and dialects. Once in the city, some tourists are surprised to not understand what they are told by the indigenous people.
You should know that the UK includes 4 regions, these are: Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each region speaks of its accents, which are of high cultural value.
An aristocratic accent, for example, is used, as you might guess, in high layers of society (the conversation is slow and with a certain note of arrogance), Cockney is a dialect of vernacular English (a dialect of the working class belonging to the lower layers of society.) Of course, the list does not end there .
2. Most of the architectural monuments are located in the Westminster area.
Founded in the 12th century, Westminster is one of the districts of the city with a long history, it is not surprising that most of the architectural monuments are located here.. The name comes from the church, which is located west of the monastery of St. Paul.
Now it is an official-royal district. There are many attractions that tourists enjoy watching: for example, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.
Many tourists come to Westminster to look at Big Ben (the famous clock tower), parliament, as well as royal parks. Those who are going to London are best to settle in Westminster, saturated with the spirit and culture of England.
1. The first city in the world to host the three Olympics
London is the first city in modern Olympic history to host the Olympics 3 times. The first two Olympics were held in 1908 and 1948.
To commemorate the 2012 Olympics, London remained the 115-meter high tower ArcelorMittal Orbit, which was built in the London Olympic Park in Stafford. The tower was supposed to be reminded that in 2012, international competitions were held in London.