London is the capital of England and the UK, located on the River Thames. It has a long history dating back to Roman times and is famous for landmarks like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, and Tower Bridge. In the 19th-20th centuries, London's fog and smoke from coal heating created thick smog, culminating in the Great Smog of 1952 that killed over 4,000 people. In response, clean air acts were passed to reduce pollution. London is also known for its parks, museums, and royal residences like Buckingham Palace.

1. London

2. About London
• London is the capital and largest city of England and the United
Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million.
• It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a
50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major
settlement for two millennia.
• The City of London, its ancient core, was founded by
the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries.

3. The London Fog
London has it's own nickname "The Smoke".
Through the 19th and in the early half of the
20th century, Londoners used coal for
heating their homes, which produced large
amounts of smoke.
It is next to a river. The result of the former
was a lot of smoke and of the latter a lot of
fog. The smoke got mixed with the fog,
creating 'smog'. and London became known
for its typical "London Fog".
In 1952 this culminated in the disastrous
Great Smog of 1952 which lasted for five
days and killed over 4,000 people.
In response to this, the Clean Air Act 1956
was passed, mandating the creating of
"smokeless zones" where the use of
"smokeless" fuels was required.

4. What is London
famous for?
London is famous for Big Ben, Buckingham
Palace, British Museum, and Tower Bridge.
London is also known for its rich history,
double-decker buses, red phone booths,
world-class museums and galleries, gigantic
lush parks, financial districts, and
cosmopolitan vibes.
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell
of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the
north end of the Palace of Westminster in
London, England.

5. The Tower of London, a medieval castle, dating in part to 1078

6. Buckingham Palace
• Since far back as the 1800s,
the the Buckingham Palace
in London has been the
official residence of the
British Royals. Even the
late Queen Elizabeth II lived
during her reign, up until
she relocated to Windsor
Castle during the COVID-19
pandemic, but ultimately
chose to stay there
permanently.

7. Buckingham
Palace
The guards at Buckingham
Palace and St James Palace are
on duty for 24 or 48 hours.
During that time a Guardsman
will have 2 hours on sentry
duty and then 4 hours off.

8. Buckingham Palace Balcony with Royal Family

9. St James's Park
Is the oldest Royal
Park in London and
is surrounded by
three palaces.
The most ancient is
Westminster, which has
now become the Houses
of Parliament, St James's
Palace and of course, the
best known, Buckingham
Palace. The park was
once a marshy
watermeadow.

10. Trafalgar Square and its fountains, with Nelson’s Column on the right
Nelson's column was built in 1843 to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson's death at
the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The 5.5m sandstone statue of Nelson stands on top of a
46m solid Dartmoor granite column.

11. The London Eye
• The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered
observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London.
It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most
popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3
million visitors annually.

13. Sky Garden
• Sky Garden is
London's highest
public garden
with 360-degree
views of the city's
iconic skyline.

14. SOUTH KENSINGTON
• South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris or South Ken, is a district just west of Central London.
It's one of nicest place for a family to visit.
• South Kensington is home to many free museums including the Natural History Museum, the
Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum.
• At the Victoria and Albert Museum, you can see art and design from the past 3000 years,
including ceramics, furniture, fashion, jewellery, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings.
• The family-friendly Science Museum caters for kids of all ages. The interactive Garden area is
specially designed for under fives, while the hands-on Launchpad gallery is perfect for teenagers.
• Just next door you'll find London's Natural History Museum, where you can come face-to-face
with a giant T-rex, and experience an earthquake in the Power Within zone.

15. South
Kensington
brick row
houses

16. Dating back to the 19th Century, The Churchill Arms not only is one of
the best pubs in Kensington but also is one of the most famous pubs in
London. The pub is famous for its décor, and by décor I mean the
exuberant flower bouquets that cover the building from head to toe –
which costs the owners the “modest” sum of £25,000 per year.

17. Covent Garden
A shopping and entertainment hub in
London's West End, Covent Garden is
renowned for its luxury fashion and
beauty stores as well as award-winning
restaurants and theatres.

18. Hamleys
on the Regent Street is the world's
oldest and largest toy store.

19. Baker Street 221b is the
most famous address in
the world

20. • Since the 1930s, the famous address is a part
of a larger block of buildings originally
occupied by the Abbey National Building
Society. From almost the day the Abbey
National opened they began receiving letters
from all over the world addressed to Mr.
Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street. Such a
profusion of letters were delivered that the
bank’s public relations department found it
necessary to employ a full-time secretary
charged with responding to the urgent
inquiries from those in need of Holmes’s
unique deductive prowess (these inquiries
were usually met with a response that the
detective had retired to keep bees in Sussex).