On 26 June 1868 today a Blue Plaque to Napoleon III was affixed at 1c King Street, SW1, it was the first ‘Blue’ Plaque to be erected and the first plaque to survive. The plaques made by Minton Hollins were originally brown, but blue became the norm.

On 26 June 1857 the first investiture of the Victoria Cross by Queen Victoria took place in Hyde Park on this Friday. Sixty-two Crimean veterans had the cross pinned on by the monarch

In 1736 gravedigger Thomas Jenkins received 100 lashes for selling dead bodies from St Dunstan & All Saints, Stepney High Street

Dr Johnson had lived at 8 Bolt Court, from 1776-1784, on 26 June 1819 this house which had survived a blaze in 1807 was completely gutted by fire

On Westminster Bridge Road is the entrance to an old station from where passengers took their last journey to Brookwood Cemetery

The Ayrton Light atop Parliament’s Elizabeth Tower (known as Big Ben) shines to show that the House is sitting

When Ellen Terry visited Whistler’s Chelsea studio Oscar Wilde described seeing her arrive in the full regalia of Lady Macbeth

King James I kept elephants in St James’s Park. They were allowed a gallon of wine a day each to get through the English winter

When Queen filmed Bicycle Race promotional video at Wimbledon Stadium with 65 naked female cyclist, cycle hirers demanded saddle replacement

Jubilee Line trains have been decorated for the Jubilee – appropriate really, as line originally named for 1977 one (hence silver on map)

The Castle pub in Farringdon holds a pawnbrokers licence granted by George IV when he left a heirloom in lieu of a gambling loan

During the Great Fire of London, Samuel Pepys buried his prized possession, a chunk of parmesan cheese, in his back garden

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.