London is one of the most interesting and vibrant cities in the world, and even though you may not have been here (yet) you sure know some stuff about this city, right? Here are 10 facts you probably didn’t know!

1. Over 300 languages are spoken in London

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world with all its different cultures. There are over 8 million people in London, who collectively speak over 300 languages. Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien and of course English are a few examples.

2. Big Ben is not actually called Big Ben

Big Ben is one of London’s most famous landmarks, which makes it funny to realize everyone is calling the tower by the wrong name. Well, not totally wrong since the bell is called Big Ben. However, the tower itself is called The Elizabeth Tower.

3. There are more tourists than inhabitants in London Every Year

Every year there are around 19 million tourists visiting London. Which, considering the resident population is just under 9 million means that there are over twice as many tourists in the city as inhabitants.

4. Police never caught Jack the Ripper

The identity of London’s most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper, has never been discovered. He killed 11 women (that we know of) between around the year 1888.

5. The London Underground could have been water-based

The underground is such a big part of London, but did you know that when the London Underground was first proposed, engineers suggested filling the tunnels with water and using barges to float people from station to station?  Evidently, they decided to opt for trains.

6. Black cab drivers are tested

In order for a to become a black cab driver, you have to pass a test called ‘The Knowledge’. This test is extremely difficult since you have to learn 320 basic routes, all 25,000 streets within these routes and 20,000 landmarks within a 6 mile radius of Charing Cross. It is thought to take between 2 and 4 years to learn all of this information.

7. Feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square is banned

Trafalgar Square was once renowned for housing thousands of feral pigeons. In 2003, London Mayor Ken Livingstone banned feeding them or selling feed near the square due to all the nuisance.

8. Waterloo Tube Station is the busiest for public transport

There are approximately 1.265 billion people that use the London Underground every year. That’s slightly more than the population of India! According to TFL, the most popular station is Waterloo, which sees 100.3 million passengers every year.

9. London has over 170 Museums

London boasts over 170 museums, from the massive British Museum, London’s most popular tourist attraction, to the tiny Fan Museum in Greenwich.

10. Aldgate Station has 1000 bodies buried underneath it

Another disturbing fact about London is that 1000 bodies apparently lie under Aldgate station, near Urbanest’s Tower Bridge property. Searchers most likely buried them there after the Great Plague.

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