This Week In London’s History
- Monday - 23 September 1952: Crowds gather at Waterloo station as renowned actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin returns to his native London for the first time in 21 years.
- Tuesday – 24 September 1917: A zeppelin drops a 50 kilogram bomb that lands just outside the Bedford Hotel on Southampton Row in Bloomsbury, central London. 13 people are killed and a further 26 injured.
- Wednesday – 25 September 1818: The first human-to-human blood transfusion is performed at Guy’s Hospital. Previous blood transfusions had used animals’ blood.
- Thursday – 26 September 1850: The first stretch of the North London Railway is opened, running between Bow in east London, and Islington in north London. These days, the DLR follows part of this original route, and some of the subsequent extensions are serviced by London Overground.
- Friday – 27 September 1968: Marking the end of British stage censorship, the musical 'Hair' opens at the Shaftsbury Theatre in the West End, complete with on-stage nudity and portrayals of drug-taking.
Random London Quote Of The Week
RESPIRATOR, n. An apparatus fitted over the nose and mouth of an inhabitant of London, whereby to filter the visible universe in its passage to the lungs.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary
Photo by Broken Hearted via the Londonist Flickr Pool.