CChronica Maps

London: History, Former Names & Timeline

A Roman port on the Thames that passed through Saxon, Viking and Norman hands to become the heart of the British Empire.

Map showing London in 1650London
Border map for 1650. See Europe in 1650.

Explore London in the interactive map

Former names of London

FromNameNote
AD 47Londiniumfounded by the Romans
AD 600LundenwicSaxon trading port
AD 886Lundenburhrefounded by Alfred the Great
1100London

Timeline of London

YearEvent
AD 61Boudica's revolt burns Londinium
AD 886Alfred the Great retakes and refounds London
1066William the Conqueror is crowned at Westminster
1666The Great Fire of London
1851The Great Exhibition opens in the Crystal Palace
1940The Blitz: German bombing of London

Who ruled London

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

PeriodState
500 BC–401 BCUnclaimed / no data
400 BC–2 BCCelts
1 BC–99Unclaimed / no data
100–299Roman Empire
300–399Rome (Constantinus)
400–499Western Roman Empire
500–599Anglo-Saxons
600–799Cantia
800–999Essex
1000–1199England
1200–1299Angevin Empire
1300–1491English territory
1492–1599England
1600–1782England and Ireland
1783–1814United Kingdom
1815–1937United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1938–todayUnited Kingdom

Battles and sites near London

Landmarks in and around London

Nearby cities