London Through the Centuries Trivia Quiz

Answer: The city was sacked by the forces of Queen Boudicca

The sacking of the city by Boudicca (various other spellings are also acceptable) occurred about 1,000 years previously, in 60 AD, when the country was ruled by the Romans.

William was crowned king on Christmas Day in 1066, after defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and during his reign the White Tower was constructed (1078). Westminster Hall was built between around 1097-99, in the reign of his son, William II (sometimes known as William Rufus).

And, in case you were wondering, there was no official capital city of England until the twelfth century, although Winchester came closest to deserving the title.

Answer: The London Symphony Orchestra was founded

There were no such things as symphony orchestras in the twelfth century, and the LSO was not founded until 1904. Newgate prison in one form or another existed for over 700 years, the original being built in 1188 (it finally closed in 1902). The first stone bridge over the River Thames in London opened in 1176, and in 1189 the first Lord Mayor was elected, one Henry Fitz-Ailwin.

Answer: The National Gallery was founded

The National Gallery, one of the world's great museums of art, was not founded until much later (1824). The original Savoy Palace was built by Peter, Count of Savoy, in 1245, and was one of the grandest houses in London. Many of the great Trade Guilds of London were founded during this period, including the Fishmongers' Company in 1272. 1272 also marked the death of King Henry III.

Answer: Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens opened

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens opened in around 1600, and lasted in one form or another until 1859.

Dick Whittington (of subsequent fame in legend and pantomime), was Lord Mayor four times, the first of these in 1397. The Tabard Inn is famous as the meeting place of the pilgrims in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales", and was built in 1307. The Peasant's Revolt was a dramatic uprising in 1381, during which the Tower of London was taken by the rebels.

Answer: Buckingham Palace was built

Buckingham Palace (originally known as Buckingham House) was built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. The present building, in its role as London home of the British monarch, has been considerably extended since then.

Caxton set up his printing press at Westminster in 1476. During the turbulent period now commonly known as the "Wars of the Roses", King Henry VI was overthrown and held in the tower of London from 1466 until his death in 1471. Less dramatically, the City of London School was founded in 1442.

Answer: Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes was tortured at the Tower following his arrest for taking part in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but his execution took place the following year in the Old Palace Yard, Westminster.

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded in 1536. Lady Jane Grey, who was briefly declared Queen in 1553 following the death of her cousin Edward VI, was executed the following year at the age of 16 or 17 (her precise date of birth is uncertain). Thomas Cromwell was chief minister to Henry VIII from 1532 until his execution for treason and heresy in 1540.

As a point of interest, the last person to be executed at the Tower was Josef Jakobs, a German spy shot by firing squad in 1941.

Answer: Nelson's Column was erected

The Battle of Trafalgar, at which Admiral Lord Nelson died, took place in 1805, the first decade of the nineteenth century. His commemorative column in Trafalgar Square was completed in 1843 (but the lions were not added till the 1860s).

But there were plenty of other important events during this period. In 1666, the Great Fire burned down large areas of the city, in 1674 the first Theatre Royal Drury Lane opened, and the Bank of England was established in 1694.

Answer: The "Jack the Ripper" murders took place in Whitechapel

"Jack the Ripper" murdered around eleven women in the Whitechapel area of East London between 1888 and 1891.

Although the flagship "Hamleys" toy shop has been located in Regent's Street since 1881, the first store opened over 100 years earlier in Holborn. Another famous London store, "Fortnum and Mason's" opened in 1707, and the Serpentine was laid out in 1730.

Answer: St Paul's Cathedral

The current St Paul's Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and constructed between 1675 and 1720, after its predecessor was destroyed during the Great Fire of London.

The Royal Albert Hall was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, and was named after her late husband. Tower Bridge opened in 1894, and the Palace of Westminster, otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament, was rebuilt between around 1840-70, after its predecessor was badly damaged by fire.

Answer: The city hosted the summer Olympic Games for the third time

London hosted the Olympic Games twice in the twentieth century (1908 and 1948), but the third London Olympics were held in 2012.

The first Wembley Stadium, originally known as the Empire Stadium, opened in 1923, and was demolished in 2003. Its successor opened in 2007. The Festival of Britain was held in 1951, 100 years after the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Thames Flood Barrier, in the London Borough of Greenwich, opened in 1982.