1666: Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London started in a baker's shop belonging to Thomas Farynor. He claimed to have extinguished the fire, but 3 hours later, at 1am, his house was a blazing inferno.

This fire spread throughout London at a startling speed, taking with it 13,200 houses, 87 churches, The Royal Exchange and all the money within it, along with St Paul’s Cathedral.

Like all good tragedies there is always a conspiracy theory to accompany it. Was the Great Fire a horrible accident, or was it a successful terrorist attack against the English people?

"It made me weep. To see my city in flames. The churches, the houses, all on fire and flaming at once. I will never forget the sound of the flames, the sound of London and her people screaming."

Samuel Pepys

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