Great Londoners

GREAT LONDONERS: Samuel Pepys – The Scribe of London

Jan 14, 2020 By John Rabon

Samuel Pepys is one of the greatest writers in British literary history—and all because he kept a diary. Today, Pepys’ Diary is considered to be the greatest personal account of life and events in 17th Century England. It is a work revered both by literary and historical scholars as a first-hand account of such important moments as the Great Fire of London, the Second Dutch … [Read more...] about GREAT LONDONERS: Samuel Pepys – The Scribe of London

Great Londoners – Michael Faraday – The Master of Electricity

Oct 2, 2018 By John Rabon

Michael Faraday is one of those great scientists whose discoveries really changed the world. Focused on electromagnetism and electrochemistry, Faraday changed what we know about electricity. His discoveries also led to several inventions including electrolysis, the Faraday cage to block electromagnetic fields, and the electric motor. It’s certainly fair to say that Faraday … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Michael Faraday – The Master of Electricity

Great Londoners – Geoffrey Chaucer

Sep 18, 2018 By John Rabon

Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the greatest contributors to English literature with his work The Canterbury Tales. However, being a writer and poet was only part of what he did during his remarkable life. Chaucer was a Renaissance man before the term was even coined, serving as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, astronomer, and philosopher. Part of what makes him one of the most … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Geoffrey Chaucer

Great Londoners: Joseph Bazalgette – The Man Who Ended The Great Stink

Mar 27, 2018 By John Rabon

Joseph Bazalgette may not be a name that immediately comes to mind when you think of the city's greatest citizens, but people use his biggest contribution every day--the sewer system. During the 19th Century, he was London's chief engineer for the Metropolitan Board of Works and used his position to ease the city's sanitation problems. Bazalgette's efforts had a range of … [Read more...] about Great Londoners: Joseph Bazalgette – The Man Who Ended The Great Stink

Great Londoners: Benjamin Franklin – When London Was America’s Capital

Oct 25, 2017 By John Rabon

You might be reading this article and think we got it wrong. While Benjamin Franklin was many things (inventor, author, publisher, diplomat, statesman, Founding Father), he was neither born in London nor was someone who helped build the city. I mean, he wasn't even British (well certainly not after 1776...). *However*, he was unquestionably one of the city's most famous … [Read more...] about Great Londoners: Benjamin Franklin – When London Was America’s Capital

Great Londoners – Inigo Jones – The Hero of Palladian Architecture

Jun 21, 2017 By John Rabon

One of the first great architects of modern times, Inigo Jones was one of the instigators of the Palladian style of design, introducing the classical style of Venetian architect Andrea Palladio to Britain. Several of his building projects can be seen today all over the country, and many of them are found in London, where Jones was born. Not too much is known about his early … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Inigo Jones – The Hero of Palladian Architecture

Great Londoners: Michael Faraday – Electricity Pioneer

Apr 6, 2017 By John Rabon

What we know today about electricity owes much to English scientist Michael Faraday. While his focus of studies was in the fields of chemistry and physics, he is primarily responsible for principles governing electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis. These principles made it possible for transformers and generators to produce power, maglev trains to run at … [Read more...] about Great Londoners: Michael Faraday – Electricity Pioneer

Great Londoners – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – Designer of the Red Phone Box

Mar 30, 2017 By John Rabon

Giles Gilbert Scott may not be the first person you think of when it comes to architecture in London, but he has certainly made his mark on the city. In fact, most people might consider his greatest design to be that of Liverpool Cathedral, but they walk past his most iconic creation every day. He was born in 1880 in Hammersmith, and one can argue that architecture was in his … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – Designer of the Red Phone Box

Great Londoners – Ken Livingstone – The First Mayor of London

Jan 19, 2017 By John Rabon

Ken Livingstone has arguably been one of the most influential London mayors in the City's history and at the very least, one of the biggest figures in London's government in the past century. Often a controversial figure in his own Labour Party as well as with the Conservatives, he shepherded London's destiny for several decades as Leader of the Greater London Council and as … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Ken Livingstone – The First Mayor of London

Great Londoners – Harry Gordon Selfridge – The Man Behind the Department Store

Sep 28, 2016 By John Rabon

One of the city's greatest men and founders of one of its biggest department stores wasn't actually born in the United Kingdom at all. He was born in Ripon, Wisconsin on 11 January 1858, though only stayed there for a few months until his family moved to Jackson, Michigan. It could be said that Selfridge was born into the retail industry since the move was necessitated by his … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Harry Gordon Selfridge – The Man Behind the Department Store

Ten Great Londoners From History Every Londonphile Should Know

Jul 26, 2016 By John Rabon

A great city is possessed by the men and women who make it so. London, as we know it, would not have transformed from the tiny settlement it once was to the towering metropolis it is today without them. Some on the list were a benefit to the city, while others were a detriment, but these individuals, whether good or bad, are inherently tied to London. They were born there, … [Read more...] about Ten Great Londoners From History Every Londonphile Should Know

Great Londoners – Joseph Paxton – Landscape Architect and Designer

May 12, 2016 By John Rabon

Born in Bedfordshire and a gardener by trade, like his 18th Century predecessor Capability Brown, Joseph Paxton would become known for more than just his care of plants. Born in 1803, some materials listed his birth year as 1801, which Paxton himself later admitted was made up so that he could enroll in Chiswick Gardens to study as a gardener. He began working there in 1823 … [Read more...] about Great Londoners – Joseph Paxton – Landscape Architect and Designer

Great Londoners: Sir Robert Peel – The Founder of the Metropolitan Police

Dec 10, 2015 By John Rabon

Sir Robert Peel was born in Bury, Lancashire to Sir Robert Peel, the 1st Baronet Peel, and Ellen Yates in 1788. His father's status and wealth from being one of the Industrial Revolution's most successful cotton mill owners meant that Peel grew up in relative luxury. He attended Bury Grammar School and then Harrow School before studying classics and mathematics at Christ … [Read more...] about Great Londoners: Sir Robert Peel – The Founder of the Metropolitan Police

Great Londoners: Samuel Johnson – Author of the Most Important English Dictionary

Nov 26, 2015 By John Rabon

Dr. Samuel Johnson is one of the most prolific writers in British history. While his most famous contribution to language and literature was "The Dictionary of the English Language", he was also a poet, essayist, biographer, critic, and editor. At the age of twenty-eight when he realised that the life of a teacher wasn't for him, he moved to London and began his career as a … [Read more...] about Great Londoners: Samuel Johnson – Author of the Most Important English Dictionary