This Week In London’s History
- Monday – 25th June 1953: John Christie is sentenced to death for the murder of his wife, whose body was found with several others hidden beneath the floorboards of his house in Notting Hill, West London. His conviction casts serious doubts on a previous murder trial that resulted in the conviction and execution of his tenant Timothy Evans, who would be posthumously pardoned in 1966. The resulting controversy would contribute to the abolition of the death penalty in the UK.
- Tuesday – 26th June 1857: The first Victoria Cross medals are awarded by Queen Victoria, to 62 soldiers of the Crimean War, in a ceremony in Hyde Park.
- Wednesday – 27th June 1967: The world’s first electronic automated teller machine (ATM) is installed by Barclays Bank in Enfield, North London. Reg Varney (of On The Buses fame) becomes the first person to make a withdrawal.
- Thursday – 28th June 1461: Edward IV is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey. Queen Victoria is crowned on the same date, 377 years later.
- Friday – 29th June 1761: The City Road is opened, running between Finsbury Square in the City and the Angel.
Random London Quote Of The Week
In a word, man in London is not quite so good a creature as he is out of it.
John Galt, The Ayrshire Legatees
Picture by Tomasz Kulbowski via the Londonist Flickr Pool.
