The Tower of London is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. Since at least 1100, the castle has been used as a prison, although that was not its primary purpose. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in England's history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The zenith of the castle's use as a prison came in the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. Today the Tower of London is a popular tourist attraction. It is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1829:

The Metropolitan Police of Greater London, originally headquartered in Great Scotland Yard, Westminster, was founded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Police_Service

1885:

The Blackpool tramway, one of the first practical electric tramways in the world, opened in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tram

1938:

At a conference in Munich, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier reached a settlement, signing it at about 1:30 am the next day, stipulating that Czechoslovakia must cede the Sudetenland to Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Agreement

1941:

The Holocaust: German Nazis aided by their collaborators began the Babi Yar massacre in Kiev, Ukraine, killing over 30,000 Jewish civilians in two days and thousands more in the months that followed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babi_Yar

1954:

Twelve countries signed a convention establishing the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), currently the world's largest particle physics laboratory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

ornithopter (n): An aircraft that generates lift through the flapping of its wings http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ornithopter

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I must speak the truth, and nothing but the truth. --Miguel de Cervantes http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Cervantes