This Week In London’s History
- Monday – 7th March 1969: The Victoria Line is officially opened by the Queen, in a ceremony at Victoria Station. Intended as a fast, congestion-relieving alternative to other lines (such as the Piccadilly Line), the line makes significant use of ‘cross-platform interchanges’ to help with changing lines.
- Tuesday – 8th March 1750: London experiences a minor earthquake, one month to the day after a previous similar quake, causing superstitious concern that another such event would be experienced on April 8th. It would be the last recorded earthquake with a London epicentre (so far).
- Wednesday – 9th March 1994: In the first of three unsuccessful attacks, the IRA fires five mortars into the grounds of Heathrow airport. None of the mortars explode.
- Thursday – 10th March 1906: The 'Baker Street & Waterloo Railway' opens, running between Baker Street and Elephant & Castle stations. It would soon become known as the Bakerloo Line.
- Friday – 11th March 1692: The Royal Chelsea Hospital is founded by Charles II. Designed by Christopher Wren, the hospital would also become the model for Greenwich’s Royal Naval Hospital.
London Quote Of The Week
A mighty mass of brick and smoke and shipping,
Dirty and dusky, but wide as eye
Could reach, with here and there a sail just skipping
In sight, then lost amid the forestry
Of masts; a wilderness of steeples peeping
On tiptoe, through the sea-coal canopy;
A huge, dun cupola, like a foolscap crown
On a fool's head — and there is London Town!
Lord Byron, Don Juan
Picture by edscoble via the Londonist Flickr pool.
