L O N D O N Historian

London taxis are historically and still officially known as Hackney Carriages, derived from the French word 'hacquenee' - a small type of horse commonly used to pull the coaches. The taxi trade took off during the reign of Elizabeth I when innkeepers and merchants bought second-hand carriages to ...

1908: the first time the various London subterranean & above ground railway lines (ran by separate railway companies) were grouped together on a collective map. The map was a collaboration between 'Underground Electric Railways Company of London' (consisting of the Bakerloo Railway, Hampstead Rai...

Lionel Walter Rothschild was born into the wealthy Rothschild banking dynasty and was meant to follow in his father's footsteps. Walter had other ideas and dreamt as a child of running a zoological museum. His passion for animals led him to riding around London on his zebra-drawn carriage, to sho...

John Spilsbury (1739 3 April 1769) created the commercial jigsaw puzzle from his workshop off Drury Lane in 1766. Intended as an educational tool Europe divided into its kingdoms was a map pasted onto a board and dissected along country boundaries This original, held at the @britishlibrary, cont...

The iconic halls of Londons Olympia (@olympia.uk) have witnessed some of the idolised moments in music and fashion history; it was here that rock music legends Queen played their very first gig in 1970, cementing the venue in music history forever. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Eric Burdon and the...

Why Kings Cross got its name.This day in 1762 saw the birth of George Augustus Frederick, well known for his Regency during the period of his fathers mental illness, he later became King George IV. From 1830 to 1845, at the crossroads of Gray's Inn Road, Pentonville Road and New Road (later Eusto...

Postcodes were adopted nationally on this day in 1966, following a decision by former Postmaster General subsequent Labour heavyweight Tony Benn. The initial system of named postal districts, developed in London and other large cities from 1857, when it was divided into ten postal districts: EC (...

A lot of us have walked past this expressive chap whilst descending Westminster Bridge to the Southbank. But what's he all about? The 'Southbank Lion' was cast in 1837 but he hasn't always stood there. Originally he stood a bit further along the Thames adorning the old Lion Brewery, which closed ...

Throwback to August 2021 when I was allowed to climb to the highest point of @libertylondon during her renovation works.

In 1840, a petition was presented to Queen Victoria, requesting that a green space be made available for the healthful recreation of the East End. Victoria Park was born. Sir James Pennethorne, architect of Battersea Park, prepared plans for Victoria Park and it was laid out in the 1840s.Interest...

Riding out in Hyde Park circa 1910.

One of the families who made the biggest impact on London's building scene is the Cubitt family. Thomas Cubitt was born in 1788 and was responsible for building houses in Camden, Islington, Stoke Newington and huge parts of Bloomsbury (inc. Gordon Sq & Tavistock Sq), Pimlico and Belgravia (inc. E...