On 13 December 1995, riots broke out again in Brixton, hundreds of youths attacked police, ransacked shops, and burnt cars after the death of a black man in police custody. About 50 police officers in riot gear formed a line across Brixton’s main road to stifle pockets of trouble and prevent anyone entering the area. The violence continued for 5 hours, 22 people were arrested and charged with theft and criminal damage, 3 police officers hurt.

On 13 December 1867 Clerkenwell Prison was bombed by members of the Fenians, the blast killed bystanders in Corporation Row, the perpetrators were later executed

Britain’s first ubiquitous use of speed bumps preventing exceeding the speed limit, were installed on Linver Road and Alderville Road, Fulham in 1984

Taking just 5 months to build Crystal Palace was in 1850 the biggest building on Earth, vast enough to accommodate four St Paul’s Cathedrals

In December 1952 smog killed over 12,000 windless weather and cold led to 100,000 admitted to hospital with respiratory illnesses

St. Mary Axe recalls a legend about a princess who travelled abroad with her 11,000 handmaidens; all were killed by Attila using 3 axes

The ‘local palais’ lyrics in the Kinks’ Come Dancing was the Athenaeum, Fortis Green Road replaced by a Sainsbury’s store in 1966

Cultivated for over 900 years College Garden Westminster Abbey is the oldest garden in England, its surrounding walls are dated 14th Century

The spiritual home of Sunday football at their peak in the 1960s, Hackney Marshes had 5 areas offering 120 pitches, the largest in the world

The deepest car park is under Bloomsbury Square 60ft deep and 7 storeys 450 car capacity built in 1960 and ruined Repton’s landscaping above

The Bank of England issued its first banknotes in 1725 with a £100 note an amount that could rent a furnished house in Pall Mall for 5 years

Half a million years ago the Thames flowed from the Midlands through Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, East Anglia entering the sea at Ipswich

Trivial Matter: London in 140 characters is taken from the daily Twitter feed @cabbieblog.
A guide to the symbols used here and source material can be found on the Trivial Matter page.