Monday Miscellanea

Dave Haste
By Dave Haste Last edited 154 months ago
Monday Miscellanea

This Week In London’s History

  • Monday16th May 1968: A gas explosion causes the collapse of an entire corner of Ronan Point, a newly constructed high-rise block of flats in Newham, East London, killing five residents.
  • Tuesday17th May 1984: Prince Charles denounces an early proposed design of an extension to the National Gallery building on Trafalgar Square as “a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend”.
  • Wednesday18th May 1593: A warrant is issued for the arrest of Christopher Marlowe following allegations of heresy. Less than two weeks later, he would be murdered in Deptford, South East London.
  • Thursday19th May 2004: Security at the House of Commons is breached, as two protesters from the ‘Fathers 4 Justice’ campaign group throw condoms filled with purple flour at Prime Minister Tony Blair as he addresses the House.
  • Friday20th May 1609: London publisher Thomas Thorpe publishes Shakespeare’s Sonnets for the first time, possibly without The Bard’s permission.

Random London Fact Of The Week

The gates in the city wall of Londinium were: Aldgate to the east, Bishopsgate, Cripplegate and Aldersgate to the north, and Newgate and Ludgate to the west. The Roman city was bordered on the south by the Thames, so no wall or gates were needed there initially (although a riverside wall was later constructed).

Picture by catya_maria007 via the Londonist Flickr pool.

Last Updated 16 May 2011