ANNIVERSARIES
HELEN CARR took place in December in history
Pollution shrouds Piccadilly Circus in gloom during the Great Smog, which led to thousands of deaths
BRIDGEMAN/GETTY IMAGES
4 DECEMBER 1952 London is suffocated by the “Great Smog” as polluted air stagnates over the city. Visibility is reduced to only a few metres.
A 1581 portrait of Sir Francis Drake, painted by Nicholas Hilliard
13 DECEMBER 1577 The renowned sailor Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth for an epic journey around the globe by sea. He will see battle, engage in piracy and claim a land that he will call Nova Albion.
2 DECEMBER 1697 The new St Paul’s Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, is officially opened following the destruction of the original cathedral during the Great Fire of London.