1940
St. Paul's is hit by bombs. One myth of the Battle of Britain was that St Paul's Cathedral remained untouched (Churchill had insisted on it). However, the cathedral was hit on this day in 1940 (and again on April 17th 1941) and the Choir Stalls and Altar were badly damaged.
On September 12th 1940, a time-delayed bomb which had struck the Cathedral was successfully defused and removed by a Bomb Disposal detachment of the Royal Engineers. Had this bomb detonated it would have totally destroyed the cathedral, as it left a 100-foot crater when it was later remotely detonated.
1975
A man was killed and at least 20 people were injured when an IRA bomb was detonated at a bus stop outside Green Park tube station.
A Mr. Guenther, from Cleveland, Ohio, was drinking coffee with his family at the Ritz when the blast occurred. Mr. Guenther dryly remarked: "The last time I stayed at the Ritz the V2s were coming over. It doesn't seem to have changed."
2005
Smoking fully banned on the whole of the UK rail network. Bastards.
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Born on this day: Brian Blessed, John Lennon, John Entwhistle, Peter Tosh, Sharon Osbourne, Scott Bakula (him out of Quantum Leap), David Cameron, PJ Harvey.
Died on this day: Pope Pius XII, Che Guevara, Oskar Schindler. Not in London, though. Shame.
Image (© Herbert Mason) culled from Google.
