Timeline of London (21st century) facts for kids

London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, has seen many exciting changes and important events in the 21st century. This timeline shares some of the key moments that have shaped London since the year 2000.

The skyline of the City of London, Thames, and Tower of London in June 2022. Taken from City Hall

A view of London from the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, which was completed in 2012, in August 2022. Some of London's iconic buildings, including The Shard and St Paul's Cathedral, can be seen in the distance.

The Shard, which was completed in 2012, taken from London Bridge station in August 2022. The train in the foreground, a BR Class 465 bound for London Charing Cross, is just arriving at the station.

A view of the O2 Arena, Canary Wharf, and the Thames at twilight in November 2020. Taken from the IFS Cloud Cable Car, which at the time was sponsored by Emirates Airline.

The former City Hall for the Greater London Authority between July 2002 and December 2021, with Tower Bridge in the background. Taken in April 2023.

A couple of early morning BA flights at London City Airport at sunrise. Taken in April 2023.

London's 21st Century Story

Early 2000s: New Beginnings (2000-2009)

2000: A New Millennium Dawns

• 1 January: The Millennium Dome opens to the public.
• 8 March: Peckham Library opens and wins an award.
• 9 March: The London Eye Ferris wheel opens.
• 22 April: London's phone codes change to 020.
• 1 May: Protests take place in central London.
• 4 May: Ken Livingstone becomes London's first elected Mayor of London.
• 11 May: Croydon Tramlink opens, London's first tram network since 1952.
• 12 May: The Tate Modern art museum opens.
• 10 June: The Millennium Bridge opens for walkers. It closes briefly for adjustments.
• 3 July: The Greater London Authority (GLA) is formed. Transport for London (TfL) is created to manage transport.
• ExCeL London exhibition centre opens.

2001: Important Openings

• 4 March: A car bomb explodes outside BBC Television Centre.
• 3 August: Another car bomb explodes in Ealing Broadway.
• 8 November: The Handel House Museum opens.
• The Citigroup Centre skyscraper is finished.
• The Conservatoire for Dance and Drama is started.

2002: Royal Events and New Buildings

• 2 January: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution starts rescue boat services on the River Thames.
• 9 April: The funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother takes place.
• June: Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee.
• July: City Hall, the GLA's headquarters, opens.
• 1 August: London Metropolitan University is formed by a merger.
• BedZED, the UK's first large zero-energy housing, is completed.

2003: Congestion Charge and Hot Weather

• 15 February: Over 2 million people protest against the Iraq War.
• 17 February: The Congestion Charge is introduced. Drivers pay to enter central London.
• 10 August: London records its hottest day until 2022, at 38.1°C (100.6°F).
• 3 October: Baitul Futuh Mosque, Britain's largest, opens.
• Trafalgar Square is redeveloped. Feeding pigeons there is stopped.
• The old Wembley Stadium is taken down.

2004: New Landmarks and Changes

• 28 April: The unique Swiss Re office building, known as "The Gherkin," opens.
• May: BBC Media Village opens in White City.
• 11 May: The University of the Arts London is formed.
• July: The London Stock Exchange moves to Paternoster Square.
• 10 November: Temple Bar is put back in central London.

2005: Olympic Bid and Tragic Events

• 6 July: London wins the bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.
• 7 July 2005 London bombings: 56 people die in bombings on London Transport.
• 21 July 2005 London bombings: Four more attempted bombings happen.
• 22 July: Jean Charles de Menezes is mistakenly shot by police.
• 9 December: The last AEC Routemaster buses are taken out of regular service.

2006: Unusual Sightings and Closures

• 20 January: A whale is seen swimming in the Thames.
• 25 September: Young's Ram Brewery in Wandsworth closes.
• 1 November: Former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko is poisoned in Mayfair.
• 7 December: The London Tornado of 2006 hits Kensal Rise.

2007: New Stadium and Transport

• 9 March: The rebuilt Wembley Stadium opens.
• 29 June: Two car bombs are found and made safe in central London.
• 11 November: The London Overground rail service begins.

2008: Airport and Shopping

• 28 March: Heathrow Terminal 5 opens.
• 4 May: Boris Johnson becomes Mayor of London.
• 30 October: Westfield London shopping centre opens.

2009: Snow and Protests

• 10 January: The DLR branch to London City Airport opens.
• 2 February: A snowstorm hits London, stopping all London buses.
• 1–2 April: Protests take place during the 2009 G20 London summit.
• 3 July: A fire in Camberwell causes 6 deaths.
• 12 October: The Evening Standard becomes a free newspaper.

The 2010s: Olympics and Big Changes (2010-2019)

2010: Bike Scheme and New Buildings

• June: The Strata skyscraper, with wind turbines, is completed.
• 30 July: The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme, known as "Boris Bikes," is launched.
• September: Evelyn Grace Academy, a school designed by Zaha Hadid, opens.

2011: Royal Wedding and Riots

• January: The Heron Tower is completed.
• 27 March: The UK Census shows many languages are spoken in London.
• 29 April: The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey.
• 4 August: The death of Mark Duggan leads to the 2011 England riots.
• 13 September: Westfield Stratford City shopping mall opens.
• 15 October: Occupy London protests begin.

2012: The Olympic Games

• 3 February: The London Borough of Greenwich becomes the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
• 3 May: Boris Johnson wins his second term as mayor.
• 3 June: The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant celebrates the Queen's Jubilee.
• 28 June: The Emirates Air Line (cable car) opens across the Thames.
• 5 July: The Shard skyscraper is officially opened.
• 27 July: The 2012 Summer Olympics begin in Stratford.
• 29 August: The 2012 Summer Paralympics begin.

2013: New University and Storm

• March: Regent's College becomes Regent's University London.
• 28 October: The St. Jude storm hits, causing two deaths in Hounslow.
• 13 November: Work begins on the new US Embassy in Nine Elms.

2014: Skyscrapers and Art

• April–August: 20 Fenchurch Street (the "Walkie-talkie") is completed.
• July: 122 Leadenhall Street (the "Cheesegrater") opens.
• 17 July–11 November: The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red art installation fills the Tower of London moat with poppies.
• Burntwood School is completed and wins an award.

2015: Population Growth and Closures

• 2 February: London's population reaches 8.6 million.
• 2 April: The Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary takes place.
• 29 June: Heathrow Terminal 1 closes after almost 50 years.

2016: Elizabeth Line and Museums

• 23 February: Crossrail is renamed the Elizabeth line.
• 9 May: Sadiq Khan is elected Mayor of London.
• 17 June: The Tate Modern opens a new extension.
• 24 November: The Design Museum reopens in Kensington.

2017: Attacks and New Churches

• 22 February: Cressida Dick becomes the first woman Commissioner of Police.
• 3 June: The 2017 London Bridge attack takes place.
• 14 June: The Grenfell Tower fire causes many deaths.
• 19 June: The Finsbury Park attack takes place.
• 15 September: The Parsons Green bombing takes place.
• 21 November: St Francis at the Engine Room is the first new Anglican church in London for 40 years.
• 18 December: Sarah Mullally is appointed as the first woman Bishop of London.

2018: Heatwave and Protests

• Summer: A heat wave causes drought across the UK, including London.
• November: Extinction Rebellion protests take place in central London.
• 24 December: The District line celebrates 150 years of service.

2019: New Stadium and Power Cuts

• 3 April: The new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opens.
• 15–26 April: More Extinction Rebellion protests cause disruption.
• 10 August: A major power cut affects London and the South-East.

The 2020s: Pandemic and Modern Transport (2020-2029)

2020: COVID-19 and Transport

• 12 February: The first case of COVID-19 is confirmed in London.
• 23 March: London goes into a nationwide lockdown.
• 3 April: NHS Nightingale Hospital London opens at ExCeL London.
• 8 December: The first person outside of trials receives a COVID-19 vaccine at Guy's Hospital.
• 16 December: London moves to Tier 3, then Tier 4, for COVID-19 restrictions.
• 18 September: The Thameslink Programme to improve train services is completed.
• 3 November: The London Assembly announces a move to The Crystal to save money.

2021: More COVID and New Tube Line

• 4 January: London goes into a third nationwide lockdown.
• 8 January: The Mayor of London declares a 'major incident' due to medical services being overwhelmed.
• 19 July: Most COVID-19 restrictions in England, including London, end.
• January: London City Airport becomes the first major airport to use a remote air traffic control tower.
• 9 April: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh dies at 99.
• 6 May: Sadiq Khan wins his second term as Mayor.
• 11 July: The UEFA Euro 2020 Final takes place at Wembley Stadium.
• September and October: Insulate Britain protests block roads.
• 20 September: The Northern line extension to Battersea opens.
• 11 November: Plans for The Tulip skyscraper are rejected.
• 2 December: The Greater London Authority moves to The Crystal.

2022: Jubilee and Heatwave

• 1 January: Big Ben bongs again after restoration.
• 24 May: The central section of the Elizabeth line officially opens.
• 2–5 June: The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is celebrated for Queen Elizabeth II.
• Summer: A heat wave affects London.
• 19 July: The UK's temperature reaches 40°C (104°F) at Heathrow Airport for the first time.
• 2 July: Over 1 million people attend the Pride march.
• 8 September: Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96. Charles, Prince of Wales becomes King Charles III.
• 19 September: The funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II takes place.
• 14 October: The shopping centre inside the renovated Battersea Power Station opens.
• 6 November: The Elizabeth line connects its central section to the wider network.
• 4 December: The Museum of London closes before moving to a new location.
• 11/12 December: Heavy snowfall causes transport chaos.

2023: Underground Anniversary and Coronation

• 1 January: New Year fireworks return to London.
• 10 January: Transport for London celebrates the London Underground's 160th anniversary.
• 24 March: Plans are announced to give each London Overground line a separate name.
• April: London City Airport drops its 100-millilitre liquid rule for security.
• 6 May: The coronation of King Charles III and Camilla takes place at Westminster Abbey.
• 21 May: The Elizabeth line is officially completed.
• 29 August: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expands to cover all of London.
• 12 September: Earth Clipper, a battery-powered ferry, starts service on the Thames.
• 20 September: Heathrow Airport is named the world's best connected airport.
• 9 October: London is voted the best city in the world for the eighth year.
• 15 October: Beavers are released in Ealing, the first in London for 400 years.
• 2 December: An arson attack damages a tube train carriage.

2024: Future Plans

• 2 January: The Rotherhithe Tunnel may close for repairs.
• 1 March to 23 June: The Disney100 exhibition is expected to run again at ExCeL London.
• July–September: The Evening Standard newspaper will become a weekly publication.
• Autumn: IKEA is expected to open in the former TopShop store on Oxford Street.

Projected Future Events

• 2025: The Thames Tideway Tunnel super-sewer is expected to open. The London Underground 2024 Stock is expected to start service on the Piccadilly Line.
• 2026: The Museum of London is expected to reopen as The London Museum in Smithfield.
• 2028: The MSG Sphere, a concert venue, could open in Stratford.