Little is known of the city prior to Queen Boadicea's
revolt against the Romans in A.D. 61. The Roman legions
withdrew in the 5th cent. Celts, Saxons, and Danes contested
the area, but it was not until 886 that London emerged
as an important town under King Alfred. Under the Normans
and Plantagenets the city became self-governing and
grew commercially and politically. By the 14th century,
it had become the political capital of England.
The reign of Elizabeth I brought London great wealth,
power, and influence as the centre of England's Renaissance
in the age of Shakespeare. A plague (1665) was followed
by the Great Fire (1666), that virtually destroyed the
city. Sir Christopher Wren played a large role in rebuilding
London, designing over 50 churches, most notably Saint
Paul’s Cathedral.
London grew enormously in the 19th cent., acquiring
great prestige in the Victorian era as the capital of
the British Empire. The city was heavily bombed during
World War II in raids that killed thousands of civilians.
Many of the bombed areas were subsequently rebuilt with
tall, modern buildings.
