London in the Restoration Era

Timeline

1. 1660–1662City of London and Westminster · LondonCharles II entered the city in May 1660; Puritan bans were lifted and theaters and taverns reopened. The return of the court and nobility spurred consumption and building investment, and London's population recovered to pre-civil-war size within three years, re-establishing the city as the kingdom's political and cultural center.
2. 1665–1666City of London · City of LondonThe Great Plague of 1665 killed tens of thousands of Londoners; the following September a fire broke out in Pudding Lane, burning about eight-tenths of the buildings in the central district within four days. The disaster destroyed medieval timber streets but created the opportunity for Christopher Wren-led brick and stone rebuilding.
3. 1666–1669London · LondonSt Paul's Cathedral and over fifty other churches began rebuilding under Wren's direction, with wide streets and brick buildings replacing the old layout. The Royal Society received its charter in 1666, theaters and printing flourished, and London showed the prototype of a modern metropolis and cultural center after the disaster.