It is mainly attributed to the East End and wider East London, having originated there in the 18th century, although it has been suggested that the Cockney style of speech is much older. It was at King's in 1952 where a team led by Rosalind Franklin captured Photo 51, the critical evidence in identifying the structure of DNA. The commercial route to Italy and the Mediterranean was normally through Antwerp and over the Alps; any ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to or from England were likely to be Italian or Ragusan.

London was plagued by disease in the early 17th century, [69] culminating in the Great Plague of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population. Her Majesty's Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate on the River Thames, which is under the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority from Teddington Lock to the sea. The London telephone area code (020) covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are excluded and some just outside included. Few structures in central London pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, these being a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the city.

London has traditionally been Christian, and has a large number of churches, particularly in the City of London. Fearing an attempt by the Crown to diminish the Liberties of London, coupled with a lack of interest in administering these additional areas or concern by city guilds of having to share power, caused the Corporation's "The Great Refusal", a decision which largely continues to account for the unique governmental status of the City. note 2] [10] The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament.

Opened in 1863, the London Underground, commonly referred to as the Tube or just the Underground, is the oldest and third longest metro system in the world. During the 18th century, London was said to be dogged by crime, [73] and the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force. Many television shows have been set in London, including the popular television soap opera EastEnders. Among other inhabitants of London are 10,000 red foxes, so that there are now 16 foxes for every square mile (6 per square kilometre) of London.From about 500, an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly west of the old Roman city. Rail Underground and DLR The London Underground is the world's oldest and third-longest rapid transit system. Pancras International with Lille, Calais, Paris, Disneyland Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and other European tourist destinations via the High Speed 1 rail link and the Channel Tunnel.

In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded in response to the growth of the urban area and a new Greater London Council was created.Buckingham Gate is an elegant white stucco fronted Grade II Listed house, situated to the side of Buckingham Palace. London ( / ˈ l ʌ n d ə n/ ⓘ) is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of around 8. On the other hand, native reptiles such as slowworms, common lizards, barred grass snakes and adders, are mostly only seen in Outer London. Starting mainly in the mid-1960s, London became a centre for worldwide youth culture, exemplified by the Swinging London sub-culture associated with the King's Road, Chelsea and Carnaby Street.

First held in 1862, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (run by the Royal Horticultural Society) takes place in May every year. in the world, University College London (UCL) is ranked 8th, and King's College London (KCL) is ranked 37th. Some international railway services to Continental Europe were operated during the 20th century as boat trains. The BBC states, "ubiquitous black cabs and red double-decker buses all have long and tangled stories that are deeply embedded in London's traditions". London has river boat services on the Thames known as Thames Clippers, which offer both commuter and tourist boat services.Since 1965, Greater London has been divided into 32 London boroughs in addition to the ancient City of London. London has been the setting for films including Oliver Twist (1948), Scrooge (1951), Peter Pan (1953), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), My Fair Lady (1964), Mary Poppins (1964), Blowup (1966), A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Long Good Friday (1980), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Notting Hill (1999), Love Actually (2003), V for Vendetta (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2008) and The King's Speech (2010). Very strong and potentially damaging winds associated with Storm Ciarán are likely late Wednesday onwards into Thursday.