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Understanding London
Settlement has existed on the site of London since well before Roman times, with evidence of Bronze Age and Celtic peoples. The Roman city of Londinium, however, established just after the Roman conquest of Britannia in 43 AD, formed the basis for the modern city (some isolated Roman period remains are still to be seen within the city). After a short-lived decline that followed the end of Roman rule in 410 AD, London experienced a gradual revival under the Anglo-Saxons, as well as the Norsemen, emerging as a great medieval trading city, and eventually replacing Winchester as the English royal capital. This paramount status for London was confirmed by the Norman, William the Conqueror, who built the Tower of London after the Conquest in 1066, and was crowned King of England in nearby Westminster.
London went from strength to strength and, with the rise of England to first European, then global prominence, the city became a great centre of government, industry and culture. London's long association with the theatre, for example, can be traced back to the English Renaissance (witness the Rose Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe) and great playwrights, like Shakespeare, who made London their home.
With the rise of Britain to supreme maritime power in the 18th and 19th centuries, the possessor of the largest global empire, London became an imperial capital, drawing people and influences from around the world to become, for many years, the largest city in the world. Despite the inevitable decline of the Empire, and considerable suffering during the Second World War (when London was heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe in "the Blitz"), the city remains a top-ranked world city, a global centre of finance, learning, and culture.
The Museum of London, located near the Barbican to the north of the City of London, makes an ideal destination (free admission) for the traveller who wants to understand the history and ongoing legacy of this great city.
London is easily the largest city in the United Kingdom, eight times larger than its second largest city, Birmingham, and ten times larger than the third, Glasgow, and dominates the economic, political, and social life of the United Kingdom (much to the annoyance of people in "the provinces" - i.e. everywhere except London). The city is full of excellent bars, theatres, museums, art galleries, and parks. It is also the most culturally and ethnically diverse part of the country, and, for a visitor, a nice side-effect of this is the wide range of cuisines available. Samuel Johnson said "When one is tired of London, one is tired of life." Whether you are interested in ancient history or modern art, opera or underground raves, London has it all.
England's royal families have, over the centuries, added much to the London scene for today's traveller: the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the Albert Memorial, the Royal Albert Hall, and Westminster Abbey being prominent examples.
London possesses one of the best collections of museums and galleries anywhere in the world. World cultures throughout history are well represented, for example, at the British Museum.
Summer Olympics 2012
The International Olympic Committee decided in July 2005 that London will serve as the host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad, the Summer Olympic Games of 2012. This will make London the first city to hold the Olympic Games three times, having hosted the games previously in 1908 and 1948. The vast majority of events will be held in a regenerated area in East London.
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