The British Museum
The Museum of London
The Tower of London
London Information and Pictures
by Jim Krumm
Click here to go to the Computer Science Department Home Page for Casper College at www.caspercomsci.com.
London is a great place to visit. London is steeped in history and tradition, yet on always on the move.
London was first established about 2000 years ago by the Romans as Londinium. Soon after Celtic Queen Boudicca attacked and destroyed the settlement. But the Romans rebuilt the settlement and went on to rule England. A few centuries later Rome recalled their soldiers from England to defend their empire. In the void, Angles, Jutes, and Saxons invaded England in the 5th century, displacing the Britons. A couple of hundred years later the Vikings began to raid London and occupied much of England. The Viking era reached its peak when a Danish Viking, Canute (Cnut) the Great, King of the Danes and Norwegians, became King of England from 1016 to 1035. In 1066, William, a Norman, invaded England. At the battle of Hastings William defeated the Anglo Saxon King Harold and became King of England.
Since then, London has been a residence of Kings and Queens and home to many of the decisions that helped shape the world. England conquered Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and for a time parts of France. The United Kingdom also went on to established colonies across the world, creating an empire which included Australia, New Zealand, India, parts of China, South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and North America. No modern Western power has been so successful establishing colonies around the world. London prospered because of its colonies and its importance during the industrial revolution. During much of the 19 century London was the largest city in the world.
In World War II, over 30,000 people were killed in London during German air raids. Tens of thousands more died fighting for England. To this day World War II is a very strong memory with Londoners.
With its population of over 8 million, London is the largest city in the European Union. London is the capital of the United Kingdom, with its Parliament located in Westminster. The residence and offices of the Prime Minister are nearby at Number 10 Downing Street. Today London is one of the greatest financial centers of the world. It is a bustling city, and a dichotomy between modern its futuristic buildings framed against a back drop of buildings centuries old. London is melting pot, with 31% of its people foreign born from South Asia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, the Caribbean, and China, as well as many other nations.
The British Museum
The Museum of London
The Tower of London
©All rights reserved by James Krumm. Originally made available at www.caspercomsci.com. Materials here can be used, and redistributed, provided proper reference is made to the origin and author(s) of these materials. Please send any corrections or suggestions to jkrumm@caspercollege.edu. Last modified Oct.25, 2009.
James Krumm |