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Firebreaks finally bring the Great Fire of London under control, leaving 13,200 houses destroyed and eight dead

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that occurred in central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city...

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that occurred in central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west. The death toll is generally thought to have been relatively small, although some historians have challenged this belief.

The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday 2 September, and spread rapidly. The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of removing structures in the fire's path, was critically delayed by the hesitation of the Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bloodworth.

Historical Significance

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that occurred in central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west.

Events Before

  1. Battle of Mbwila [Ambuila]: Portuguese forces defeat the Kingdom of Kongo and decapitate King António I of Kongo, also k

    Battle of Mbwila [Ambuila]: Portuguese forces defeat the Kingdom of Kongo and decapitate King António I of Kongo, also known as Nvita a Nkanga

  2. Portuguese trading port of Bombay is officially transferred to English control, as part of the dowry of Portuguese princ

    Portuguese trading port of Bombay is officially transferred to English control, as part of the dowry of Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza

  3. Battle at Elmina, Gold Coast: Dutch Vice-admiral De Ruyter captures Fort Cormantin from the English

    Battle at Elmina, Gold Coast: Dutch Vice-admiral De Ruyter captures Fort Cormantin from the English

  4. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society begins publication

    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society begins publication

  5. NY approves new code guaranteeing Protestants religious rights

    NY approves new code guaranteeing Protestants religious rights

Events After

  1. Resistance of Androsovo in Russia-Poland

    Resistance of Androsovo in Russia-Poland

  2. Treaty of Andrussovo ends 13 year war between Poland & Russia

    Treaty of Andrussovo ends 13 year war between Poland & Russia

  3. Treaty/Truce of Andrusovo signed between Tsardom of Russia & Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

    The Truce of Andrusovo (Polish: Rozejm w Andruszowie, Russian: Андрусовское перемирие Andrusovskoye Pieriemiriye, also sometimes known as Treaty of Andrusovo) established a thirteen-and-a-half year...

  4. Treaty of Andrussovo: Russia and Poland signs peace treaty

    Treaty of Andrussovo: Russia and Poland signs peace treaty

  5. Abraham Crijnssens fleet reach Fort Willoughby on Suriname River

    Abraham Crijnssen (died 1 February 1669) was a Dutch naval commander, notable for capturing the English colony in Suriname in 1667 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, resulting in the establishment of...

More from the 1660s

English Colonel George Monck, with two brigades of troops, crosses the Anglo-Scottish border by fording the River Tweed

English Colonel George Monck, with two brigades of troops, crosses the Anglo-Scottish border by fording the River Tweed at Coldstream and heads through knee-deep snow to London to end military rule and restore the monarchy

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England is ritually executed after having been dead for two years

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England is ritually executed after having been dead for two years

English Poet and author of "Paradise Lost" John Milton marries 3rd wife Elizabeth Mynshull, 31 years his junior.

English Poet and author of "Paradise Lost" John Milton marries 3rd wife Elizabeth Mynshull, 31 years his junior.

English Long Parliament disbands

The Convention Parliament of England (25 April 1660 – 29 December 1660) followed the Long Parliament that had finally voted for its own dissolution on 16 March that year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 5, 1666?
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that occurred in central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west. The death toll is generally thought to have been relatively small, although some historians have challenged this belief. The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday 2 September, and spread rapidly.
Why is Firebreaks finally bring the Great Fire of London under control, leaving 13,2... significant?
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that occurred in central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west.

Explore More

September 5 in HistoryYear 1666