On 16 March 2009, the construction of the London Bridge Tower started, designed by Renzo Piano at 1,017ft it was destined to be the tallest inhabited building in Western Europe and needed foundations over 173 feet deep. It was soon dubbed ‘The Shard’ a name the developers would later adopt. Its 72 floors were topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 6 July 2012. On 1 February 2013, the observation deck opened.

On 16 March 1872 the First ever FA Cup Final was played at The Oval between Wanderers (1) and Royal Engineers (0)

Insulting the King’s Bard still carries a fine of six cows and 8d (3p), although no-one is quite sure who, precisely, is the King’s Bard

The glazed-iron roof of Royal Albert Hall measures 20,000sq.ft. and was at the time of building the largest unsupported dome in the world

The proprietor of Whiteley’s original store in Queensway was murdered by an illegitimate son whom he wished to disown

Old Waterloo Bridge, a tempory structure, was transported by train to Germany in 1944 and rebuilt to span the Rhine. After the war it vanished without trace

Museums which record Londoners: Carlyle; Churchill; Dickens; Faraday; Johnson; Freud; Handel; Hogarth; Keats; Leighton; Morris; Nightingale

Harrod’s has more than 200 departments spread over 20 acres of floorspace, with an artesian well and a underground lock-up for shoplifters

The museum at Lord’s Long Room has a perfume jar containing the original Ashes, and a stuffed sparrow bowled out in 1936 by Jehangir Khan

On 16 March 1912, the last 4-horse team pulling an open bus ran from the foot of Balham Hill to Gracechurch Street

The Bank of England Chief Cashire’s signature have appeared on banknotes since 1870 but the Monarch’s portrait did not feature until 1960

Once granted The Freedom of the City of London you can herd sheep over London Bridge, carry a drawn sword and not get arrested when drunk

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.