kids encyclopedia robot

Timeline of London (21st century) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Main article: Timeline of London

This is a timeline of London's history in the 21st century. London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It's a huge, busy city with lots of exciting things happening all the time!

2000 to 2009

London saw many changes in its first ten years of the new century.

London's square mile
The skyline of the City of London, Thames, and Tower of London in June 2022.
London panorama from the east
A view of London from the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, completed in 2012.
The Shard and London Bridge station
The Shard, completed in 2012, seen from London Bridge station.
London at twilight
A view of the O2 Arena, Canary Wharf, and the Thames at twilight.
Former City Hall and Tower Bridge
The former City Hall for the Greater London Authority, with Tower Bridge.
London City Airport at sunrise.
Early morning flights at London City Airport.
  • 2000
  • 2001
    • 4 March: A car bomb explodes outside BBC Television Centre in White City.
    • 3 August: Another car bomb explodes in Ealing Broadway.
    • 8 November: The Handel House Museum opens in Brook Street.
    • The Citigroup Centre skyscraper is finished.
    • The Conservatoire for Dance and Drama is started.
  • 2002
    • 2 January: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution starts using rescue boats on the Thames.
    • 9 April: The funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother takes place at Westminster Abbey.
    • May: The first Idea Store community centre opens in Bow.
    • June: Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee.
    • July: City Hall, the new home for the Greater London Authority, opens.
    • 3 July: A statue of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is damaged.
    • 1 August: London Metropolitan University is formed by joining two universities.
    • 2 September: The 8 Canada Square building starts being used by HSBC.
    • BedZED, the country's first large-scale zero energy housing, is completed.
  • 2003
    • 15 February: Over 2 million people protest against the Iraq War. It's the largest protest in British history.
    • 17 February: The Congestion Charge is introduced. Drivers pay to enter central London.
    • 30 March: Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sikh Temple opens in Southall.
    • 31 May: The London Post Office Railway carries its last mail.
    • 10 August: London has its hottest day until 2022, reaching 38.1°C (100.6°F).
    • 3 October: Baitul Futuh Mosque, Britain's largest, opens in Morden.
    • Trafalgar Square is redeveloped. Feeding pigeons there is stopped.
    • The old Wembley Stadium is taken down.
  • 2004
    • 10 February: The London Plan is published. It's a plan for London's future.
    • 1 April: The Metropolitan Police takes over policing The Royal Parks.
    • 28 April: The famous 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.
    • October: Gangs have a shootout outside the Urban Music Awards.
    • 10 November: Temple Bar is put back in central London.
    • Pride London is started.
  • 2005
  • 2006
    • 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. He dies on 23 November.
    • 7 December: The London Tornado of 2006 hits Kensal Rise.
  • 2007
    • 9 March: The rebuilt Wembley Stadium opens.
    • 29 June: 2 car bombs are found and made safe in central London.
    • 11 November: The London Overground rail service begins.
  • 2008
    • 16 January: The Rose Theatre, Kingston, opens.
    • 28 March: Heathrow Terminal 5 opens at the airport.
    • April: The Willis Building opens in the City.
    • 4 May: Boris Johnson (Conservative) becomes Mayor of London.
    • 29 September: A fire breaks out at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.
    • 30 October: Westfield London shopping centre opens in White City.
  • 2009
    • 10 January: The DLR's London City Airport branch opens.
    • 2 February: A snowstorm hits London, and all London buses are stopped.
    • March: King's Health Partners is formed as a health science centre.
    • 1–2 April: Protests happen during the 2009 G20 London summit.
    • 17 September: The Brixton pound local currency is launched.
    • 12 October: The Evening Standard becomes a free newspaper in central London.
    • 9 November: Transport for London opens its new traffic control centre.
    • The first No Trousers Tube Ride takes place in London.

2010 to 2019

This decade brought the Olympics and new transport links to London.

  • 2010
    • April: HM Prison Isis opens next to HMP Belmarsh.
    • June: The Strata ("The Razor") skyscraper is completed. It has wind turbines.
    • 30 July: The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme is launched by Boris Johnson.
    • September: Evelyn Grace Academy, a school designed by Zaha Hadid, opens.
  • 2011
    • January: The Heron Tower is completed.
    • 26 March: A large protest against government cuts takes place in London.
    • 27 March: The United Kingdom Census 2011 shows that many Londoners speak languages other than English.
    • 29 April: The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey.
    • 4 August: The shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham Hale starts the 2011 England riots.
    • 13 September: Westfield Stratford City shopping mall opens.
    • 15 October: Occupy London protests begin.
    • 13 December: Trains on the Circle line (London Underground) stop running in a full circle.
    • Still Water, a giant horse head sculpture, is installed at Hyde Park Corner.
  • 2012
  • 2013
    • March: Regent's College becomes Regent's University London.
    • 22 May: Lee Rigby, a soldier, is killed by two extremists in Woolwich.
    • 25 October: Three women believed to have been held as slaves are rescued.
    • 28 October: The St. Jude storm hits, killing two people in Hounslow.
    • 13 November: Work begins on the new Embassy of the United States in London in Nine Elms.
  • 2014
  • 2015
    • January: Earls Court Exhibition Centre starts being taken down.
    • 2 February: London's population reaches 8.6 million.
    • 1 April: An electrical fire happens under Kingsway pavement.
    • 2 April: The Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary begins.
    • 29 June: Heathrow Terminal 1 closes after almost 50 years.
  • 2016
  • 2017
    • 22 February: Cressida Dick becomes the first woman Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
    • 22 March: 2017 Westminster attack: A terrorist kills 4 people on Westminster Bridge and stabs a policeman.
    • 3 June: The 2017 London Bridge attack takes place. Terrorists kill 8 people.
    • 14 June: Grenfell Tower fire: A fire engulfs a 24-storey block of flats, killing 71 people.
    • 19 June: The Finsbury Park attack happens, a vehicle attack on Muslims.
    • 15 September: The Parsons Green bombing takes place.
    • September: A small part of the London Post Office Railway reopens as a museum.
    • 18 December: Sarah Mullally is appointed as the first woman Bishop of London.
  • 2018
    • 7 February: Phase 1 of the National Grid's London Power Tunnels are opened.
    • May: Ravensbourne University London gains full university status.
    • Summer: A heat wave causes drought and hosepipe bans.
    • November: Extinction Rebellion protests take place across central London.
    • 24 December: The District line celebrates 150 years of service.
  • 2019
    • 2 April: Plans for London's newest skyscraper, The Tulip, are approved but later rejected by Sadiq Khan.
    • 3 April: The new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opens.
    • 15–26 April: Extinction Rebellion protests cause disruption around major tourist areas.
    • 10 August: A major power cut hits London and the South-East.
    • 29 November: 2019 London Bridge stabbing: Terrorist Usman Khan stabs 5 people, 2 fatally.

2020 to 2029

This period saw the city deal with a global pandemic and continue to grow.

  • 2020
    • COVID-19 pandemic in London:
      • 12 February: The first case of COVID-19 in London is confirmed.
      • 23 March: London goes into a nationwide lockdown.
      • 3 April: NHS Nightingale Hospital London opens in ExCeL London.
      • 8 December: The first person in a national program receives a COVID-19 vaccine at Guy's Hospital.
    • 29 July: Brentford F.C. play their last match at Griffin Park.
    • 18 September: The Thameslink Programme is completed, improving train services.
    • 3 November: The London Assembly announces it will move from City Hall, Southwark, to The Crystal.
  • 2021
    • COVID-19 pandemic in London:
      • 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: COVID-19 restrictions in England, including London, come to an end.
    • 1 January: Fireworks and light show on London's landmarks cause some complaints.
    • January: London City Airport becomes the first major airport controlled by a remote air traffic control tower.
    • 3 February: London's icons light up to remember war veteran Captain Sir Tom Moore.
    • 3 March: Sarah Everard is kidnapped and later found deceased. A police officer is charged and found guilty.
    • 9 April: Buckingham Palace announces the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
    • 6 May: Sadiq Khan wins his second term as Mayor of London.
    • 15 May: The department store Debenhams closes after over 200 years.
    • 11 July: The UEFA Euro 2020 Final takes place at Wembley Stadium.
    • September and October: Insulate Britain protests block motorways and cause disruption.
    • 11 September: 67 candles are lit in London to remember British victims of the 9/11 attacks.
    • 20 September: The Northern line extension to Battersea Power Station opens.
    • 11 November: Michael Gove rejects the plan to build The Tulip skyscraper.
    • 2 December: The Greater London Authority moves to The Crystal in Newham.
    • 30 December: Two boys die after stabbings, bringing the total teenage homicides to 30 for the year.
  • 2022
    • 1 January: Big Ben bongs for the first time since 2017 after restoration.
    • 9 January: The Marble Arch Mound closes and is dismantled.
    • 15 January: The Bank branch of the Northern line closes for major upgrade work. It reopens on 16 May.
    • 10 February: Cressida Dick announces her resignation as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
    • 18 February: Part of The O2 Arena's roof is damaged by Storm Eunice.
    • 24 February: The last of the COVID-19 restrictions are removed.
    • 26 February: London's icons light up in the colours of the flag of Ukraine.
    • 6 March: Queen Elizabeth II permanently moves to Windsor Castle.
    • 24 May: The central section of the Elizabeth line officially opens.
    • 1 June-18 September: The Superbloom exhibition fills the Tower of London moat with flowers.
    • 2–5 June: The Platinum jubilee of Elizabeth II is celebrated.
    • Summer: A heat wave affects London.
      • 19 July: The UK's temperature reaches 40°C (104°F) at Heathrow Airport for the first time.
      • 12 August: A drought is officially declared in the south of England.
    • 2 July: Over 1 million people attend the LGBT Pride march.
    • 18 July: Barking Riverside station opens.
    • 31 July: The England women's team wins the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium.
    • 11 August: Children are offered a polio vaccine after the virus is detected in sewage.
    • 8 September: Buckingham Palace announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II. 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.
    • 24 October: Bond Street Elizabeth line station officially opens.
    • 30 October: Just Stop Oil protestors block roads.
    • 6 November: The Elizabeth line connects its central section to the rest of its network.
    • 9 November: Nurses in some London hospitals vote to strike.
    • 18 November: Plans to move the Billingsgate Fish Market and Smithfield Meat Market to Dagenham are approved.
    • 4 December: The Museum of London closes before its move to Smithfield.
    • 11/12 December: Heavy snowfall causes chaos on London's transport system.
  • 2023
    • 1 January: The New Year fireworks return to London.
    • 10 January: Transport for London (TfL) announces celebrations for the London Underground's 160th anniversary.
    • 26 January: St Mark's Church, Hamilton Terrace is damaged by fire.
    • 13 February: A long-running bus drivers' dispute ends.
    • 24 March: Plans are announced to give each of the London Overground lines separate names.
    • 25 April: The hosepipe ban from the heatwave of 2022 ends.
    • April: London City Airport drops its 100-millilitre liquid rule for security.
    • 3 May: Three sections of the Roman Wall in the City of London are given protected status.
    • The coronation of King Charles III:
      • 6 May: The coronation of King Charles III and Camilla takes place in Westminster Abbey.
    • 21 May: The Elizabeth line is officially completed.
    • 29 July: The High Court of Justice rules that Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan to expand the ULEZ zone is lawful.
    • 31 July: London’s Jewish Museum in Camden closes.
    • 29 August: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expands to cover all of London.
    • 12 September: Earth Clipper becomes the first of three battery-powered ferries for Uber Boat by Thames Clippers.
    • 15-19 September: Bond Street station is temporarily renamed as Burberry Street for London Fashion Week.
    • 20 September: Heathrow Airport is announced as the world's best connected airport.
    • 9 October: London is voted the best city in the world for the eighth year running.
    • 15 October: Beavers are released in Ealing's Paradise Fields, the first in London for 400 years.
    • 2 December: An arson attack damages a tube train carriage.
  • 2024
  • 2025
    • 19 January: Local television channel London Live closes.
    • 26 January: Fatal stabbings in London are at their lowest in years.
    • 27 January: Transport for London (TfL) launches its 25th anniversary celebrations.
    • 21 March: A fire causes a major power outage at Heathrow Airport.
    • 7 April: Silvertown Tunnel is opened to traffic by TfL.
    • The Thames Tideway Tunnel super-sewer is expected to open.
    • The London Underground 2024 Stock is expected to enter service on the Piccadilly Line.
    • The tram network is extended to Sutton.
    • A revamped Olympia reopens with new venues.

|

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Timeline of London (21st century) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.