On 13 August 1985 an operation performed by Britain’s leading transplant specialist, Egyptian-born Magdi Yacoub, made history. A three-year-old boy from Dublin has became the world’s youngest heart and lung transplant patient. Jamie Gavin had a four-hour operation at Harefield Hospital in west London. He had been waiting for a donor since May, when doctors told his parents he had a congenital heart disease which was progressively weakening his heart and lungs.

On 13 August 1899 Alfred Joseph Hitchcok was born in Leytonstone, his father was a grocer. Hitchcock’s 10th film Blackmail is considered to be the first British talkie

Shoddy axeman Jack Ketch who bungled the execution of the Duke of Monmouth lives on today as the hangman in the Punch and Judy puppet shows

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is the most densely populated area in the UK-13,200 people per sq. kilometre (London average 5,000)

When Polly, resident parrot of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, died in 1926 her obituary appeared in numerous Fleet Street papers

The British Legion introduced the first artificial poppies in 1921 raising £106k. The Poppy Factory has been at Richmond for almost 90 years

Billy Elliot rehearses dance moves at a youth centre not in the north-east but at Hanwell Community Centre, Hanwell

Kew Gardens is unique on the Underground being the only station with its own pub The Railway which has a door that leads out onto platform 1

West Ham home ground once formed part of Anne Boleyn’s grand manor house known as Green Street House, which was demolished in 1890

Edgware Road is London’s oldest road 2,000 years ago it was a grassy track, the Romans incorporated it into their major road, Watling Street

The Post Office Research Station, Dollis Hill, built the world’s first programmable computer known as Colossus Mk 1 the size of a small room

The Fairlop Oak one of England’s most famous trees was blown down in 1820, it was used to carve the pulpit in St. Pancras Church, Euston

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.

On 6 August 1889 the first luxury hotel in Britain was opened. Built by Richard D’Oyly Carte, the Savoy Hotel was approached via a cul-de-sac where vehicles travelled on the right. Taking 5 years to build the hotel was the first to have electric lifts known as ascending rooms and electric lighting. Service could be summoned by a speaking tube. César Ritz was its first manager. Later the hotel would be the first to offer en-suite bathrooms with cascading showers.

On 6 August 1966 Mohammad Ali beat Brian London at London’s Earls Court Exhibition Hall in the 3rd round of a heavyweight contention match

In 1682 Duke of Monmouth was executed at Tower Hill, his family retrieved the body had his head sewn back on and had his portrait painted

Charles Holden’s Gants Hill Station was inspired by Moscow’s Metro features Russian styled barrel-vaulted concourse is nicknamed Moscow Hall

On 6 August 1937 Barbara Windsor was born her real surname was Deeks, her stage name was inspired by the Queen’s coronation: “it sounded posher”

Belsize Park was one of eight Underground stations converted into a deep-level air raid shelter during the Second World War

Nicholl’s Antique Arcade, 142 Portobello Road was used as the location for William’s (Hugh Grant) bookshop in the movie Notting Hill

Henry VIII hosted a grand party in St. Etheldreda’s Church crypt for 5 days menu: a feast of swans-stuffed with larks-stuffed with sparrows

Lord’s is surely the only sporting venue in the world where a steward’s duties include collecting champagne corks from the field of play

First fully automatic electric traffic lights were Piccadilly Circus in 1937 called ‘Robot Traffic Lights’, the first one was known as ‘Little Eva’

William Taynton was the first person to appear on television at the attic workshop of John Logie Baird at 22 Frith Street, Soho

Glaciologists believe the ice sheet that once covered much of Britain during the last Ice Age stopped where Finchley Road Station now stands

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.