This Week In London’s History
- Monday – 28th November 1999: A naked man bursts into a church in Thornton Heath, south London, wielding a samurai sword and indiscriminately attacking the congregation. Eleven people are injured, some seriously, before the swordsman is overpowered. The attacker would later be found not guilty of attempted murder and assault for reasons of insanity, and would be detained at a psychiatric hospital.
- Tuesday – 29th November 1330: Roger Mortimer, the de facto ruler of England for the previous few years, is hanged at the Tyburn gallows in west London.
- Wednesday – 30th November 1936: The magnificent iron and glass Crystal Palace in southeast London is destroyed by fire.
- Thursday – 1st December 1919: In Westminster, Nancy Astor becomes the first woman MP to take her seat in the House of Commons.
- Friday – 2nd December 1697: The first service is held in Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral, some eleven years before the building is officially completed.
Random London Quote Of The Week
A broken heart is a very pleasant complaint for a man in London if he has a comfortable income.
George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
Photo by steved373 via the Londonist Flickr pool.
