Death & Disasters
Discover objects, stories and blogs that tell us about death and disaster through London’s history.
Blogs-And-Stories
The Great Plague of 1665
An estimated 100,000 people died in London’s last major plague epidemic
How the Great Fire of London created insurance
The Great Fire of London in 1666 had a surprising outcome: the creation of modern property insurance
Why Charles I was executed
A tale of religion and Parliament which ends abruptly in 1649
The Great Smog of 1952
12,000 people died when a toxic polluted fog descended on London
Silvertown 1917: London’s largest explosion
73 people died when an east London factory making TNT caught fire and exploded
The Stone Age skull rescued from the River Thames
Found after 5,000 years in the mud
The Great Stink of 1858
A smell so incredibly awful it demanded a modern sewer solution
The Walbrook Skulls: A Roman murder mystery
Did these 39 skulls belong to gladiators?
The New Cross fire
13 young Black people died in this 1981 tragedy, which led to the Brixton Uprising
The Grenfell Tower fire
This 2017 blaze killed 72 people – a preventable tragedy which triggered calls for justice
Is this burnt bible a survivor of the Great Fire of London?
Hidden away for years, we trace its journey from flames to museum shelves
Quiz: The Great Fire of London
Think you know the devastation caused by the Great Fire of London? Test your knowledge
Abney Park Cemetery
The only Magnificent Seven cemetery that doubles as a tree garden
Highgate Cemetery
London’s most famous graveyard, where the tomb of Karl Marx attracts fans, critics and the curious
Kensal Green Cemetery
How a prince made this graveyard a desirable resting place for the Victorian dead
