London

Lore & Background

The name London is attested in the first century AD. The first major settlement was founded by the Romans around AD 47, about 4 years after their invasion of AD 43. This only lasted until about AD 61, when the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed it and burnt it to the ground. The next planned incarnation of Londinium prospered, superseding Colchester as the principal city of the Roman province of Britannia in 100. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of about 60,000. With the early-5th-century collapse of Roman rule, the walled city of Londinium was effectively abandoned. From about 500 an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly west of the old Roman city. By about 680 the city had become a major port again. From the 820s repeated Viking assaults brought decline. The Vikings applied Danelaw over much of eastern and northern England from 886; the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Alfred 'refounded' London that year. By the 11th century, London was clearly the largest town in England. After winning the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England as William I in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. He built the Tower of London to intimidate the inhabitants. In the 12th century the institutions of central government became increasingly fixed at Westminster. While the City of Westminster developed into a true governmental capital, the City of London remained England's largest city and principal commercial centre. In 1100, its population was some 18,000; by 1300, it had grown to nearly 100,000. With the Black Death in the mid-14th century, London lost nearly a third of its population. London was a centre of England's Jewish population before their expulsion by Edward I in 1290. The Reformation produced a shift to Protestantism. The population rose from about 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605. In the English Civil War, most Londoners supported the Roundheads.

In Their Own Story

The fluorescent hum of the MI6 corridor is the only sound. Bond's shoes barely whisper against the polished floor as he rounds a partition of filing cabinets. Two henchmen are at a desk, arguing in low voices, their backs turned. He eases the Walther PPK from his jacket, the slide already drawn, and waits. The first one turns. The second hears the click. Bond is already moving—two shots, two silences, the bodies folding into the carpet. He steps over them without breaking stride, heading for the service elevator. Somewhere above, the satellite is still listening. He has to be there before it starts to speak.

Reader's Guide

London is a real city, not a video game location. The source article does not describe any playable levels or missions.

Did You Know?

• London has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years.
• The City of London was founded by the Romans as Londinium.
• The London Underground is the world's oldest rapid transit system.
• London became the first city to host three Summer Olympic Games upon hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.
• The name 'London' is attested in the first century AD.