This Week In London’s History
- Monday – 30th July 1966: England defeat West Germany in the FIFA World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, claiming the Jules Rimet Trophy (and, of course, the status of Football World Champions for the next four years).
- Tuesday – 31st July 1962: Violence erupts at a rally of the Union Movement (formerly known as the British Union of Fascists) in Dalston, East London. Sir Oswald Mosely, leader of the movement, is knocked to the ground and forced to abandon the rally.
- Wednesday – 1st August 2003: The Hutton Inquiry, set up to “urgently conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly”, begins at the Royal Courts of Justice. The inquiry runs until January 2004 – the published report clearing the British government of wrongdoing, amid widespread claims of “establishment whitewash”.
- Thursday – 2nd August 1967: The newer carriageway of the Blackwall Tunnel is opened, 70 years after the opening of the original tunnel. The newer tunnel lies to the east of the original tunnel, and is normally used for southbound traffic.
- Friday – 3rd August 2001: Just a few seconds after midnight, a car bomb explodes in Ealing Broadway, injuring 7 people and causing significant damage to the surrounding area. The bombing is subsequently attributed to the ‘Real IRA’, and three men are later jailed for causing this and two other explosions.
Random London Fact
The Boundary Estate, in Shoreditch, is the oldest housing estate in London. It was opened in 1900 by the Prince of Wales.
Photo by avail via the Londonist Flickr Pool.
