London is a melting pot. You’ve probably heard that before and its true. There is almost no place like it in the entire world. It is a minority majority city. This means that the majority of people in London come from a minority background. For over 2 thousand years this city located on the River Thames has been a major settlement and focal point of world trade and power. Today, it is one of the world’s leading financial centers and one of the most visited cities on Earth as measured by international arrivals. It contains four world heritage sites including the Tower of London (Big Ben) and Westminster Abbey. Other famous landmarks are Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Shard, Tower Bridge, and Trafalgar Square. The city is home to numerous museums, sporting events, galleries, and theaters. And getting around to all of these things shouldn’t be too much of a problem because the city is served by the oldest metro system in the world. Don’t let that fool you though. It is modern, efficient, and today it is one of the most used metro systems anywhere on Earth. Get ready because these are 25 awesome things you should know before visiting London!
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The Olympics in 2012 saw the biggest military presence in London since the end of World War II
Source: bbc, Image: wikipedia Driving in London during the day often requires you to pay a "congestion fee". Some people apparently avoid this by registering their cars as private taxis and not picking people up
Source: reddit, Image: pexels During the 18th century, nearly one out of every five women in London was employed as a prostitute
Source: canadiancontent.net, Image: wikipedia London has around 20 subterranean rivers flowing beneath its streets
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia In 1931 the Times of London came up with the Times New Roman typeface when they were accused of using ugly and dated fonts
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia The scientist that designed the V2 rocket for the Germans (Wernher Von Braun) always wanted to go to space. Unfortunately, his rocket was instead used as a weapon. After the bombing of London he was famous for noting that "the rocket worked perfectly except for landing on the wrong planet"
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia In order to become a taxi driver in London you have to memorize every single street and pass a test called "The Knowledge". It allegedly takes several years to memorize the entire city.
Source: lastwordnothing.com, Image: wikipedia The 1908 Russian Olympic team didn't get to London on time because they hadn't yet switched to using the Gregorian calendar
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay London is a minority majority city. This is because as of 2011 less than half of the population is white (49.9%).
Source: telegraph.co.uk, Image: wikipedia In order to prevent people from texting during movies the Prince Charles Cinema hired "ninjas" that stood in the back of the theatre and scared people who were being disruptive
Source: hollywoodreporter.com, Image: wikipedia A London Burger King sells a $200 burger that includes ingredients like white truffle
Source: thedailytruffle.com, Image: wikipedia Rudolf Walter Richard Heß, a Nazi politician was the last prisoner to be held at both the Tower of London and Spandau Prison in Germany.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia The City of London actually has less than 8,000 residents and is one of the smallest cities in the UK. Greater London includes all of the districts surrounding the City. Its population is in the millions and is what people think of when they hear the word "London" even though it is not technically a city.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia During the 18th century people would pay to watch inmates at Bedlam Asylum. And on Tuesdays entry was free.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia In 1251 the King of Norway gave King Henry III a polar bear. The king kept it on a really long chain in the Tower of London so it could swim in the river
Source: hrp.org.uk, Image: wikipedia A statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square stands on soil that was imported from the US in order to honor the promise never to step foot on British soil again
Source: inetours.com, Image: wikipedia Ships of the Royal Navy that enter the Port of London are still required to give the Constable of the Tower a bottle of rum (according to laws that haven't been changed)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia The organizers of the 2012 London Olympics wanted Keith Moon to be one of the acts. They realized only later that he had already been dead for more than three decades
Source: guardian.co.uk, Image: wikipedia The NYPD (New York Police Department) has officers stationed in London
Source: ap.org, Image: wikipedia In 2008, when alcohol on public transport was about to be banned, passengers sat all day on the subway drinking beers right up until the ban started.
Source: reddit, Image: wikipedia An estimated half million mice live in the London Underground
Source: independent.co.uk, Image: wikipedia The Christmas tree on Trafalgar Square is given to the people of London every year by the people of Norway for their help during World War II
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Chess boxing is an up-and-coming sport in London. Just like it sounds, players alternate between rounds of chess and round of boxing
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Contrary to popular belief, Big Ben isn't a tower. The bell inside the tower is called Big Ben. The tower itself is actually called The Elizabeth Tower
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay In 1814, after a vat ruptured, a wave of beer flooded the city killing 8 people. It is known as the London Beer Flood.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Lists Going Viral Right Now
