This is a list of incidents in London that have been labelled as "terrorism". It includes various bomb attacks and other politically driven violent incidents.
Irish republican attacks Fenian attacks during the Fenian Dynamite Campaign 1867–1885
1867 13 December 1867: "Clerkenwell Outrage": A bomb planted by Fenians at New Prison in Clerkenwell exploded, killing twelve passers-by.
1881 15 March 1881: A Fenian bomb was found and defused in the Mansion House, London.Porter, Bernard. The origins of the vigilant state: the London Metropolitan Police Special Branch before the First World War. Boydell & Brewer, 1991. Pp.27-28
1882 12 May 1882: A bomb exploded at the Mansion House, London. 1883 15 March 1883: Bombs exploded at government buildings at Whitehall, within Scotland Yard itself, and at the offices of The Times newspaper. There were no injuries. 30 October 1883: Two bombs exploded in the London Underground, at Paddington (Praed Street) station (injuring 70 people) and Westminster Bridge station.
1884 25 February 1884: A bomb exploded in the left-luggage room of Victoria station, London. The building was empty at the time and no-one was injured. Other bombs were defused at Charing Cross station, Ludgate Hill station and Paddington station. 30 May 1884: Three bombs exploded in London: at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Metropolitan Police Service's Special Irish Branch; in the basement of the Carlton Club, a gentlemen's club for members of the Conservative Party; and outside the home of Conservative MP Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn. Ten people were injured. A fourth bomb was planted at the foot of Nelson's Column but failed to explode.London Metropolital Police Service - History - The Fenians 13 December 1884: Three IRB members, who were planting a bomb on London Bridge, were killed when their bomb prematurely exploded. One of the men was William Mackey Lomasney.
1885 2 January 1885: A bomb exploded at Gower Street station, London. 20 January 1885: A bomb exploded on a Metropolitan line train at Gower Street (now Euston Square) tube station. No injuries were reported, although some passengers received minor cuts from broken glass. 24 January 1885: Bombs exploded at a number of locations in central London, including the House of Commons chamber, in Westminster Hall, in the Banqueting Room of the Tower of London and London Bridge. PCs Thomas Cox and William Cole and four civilians were injured (with both PCs awarded the Albert Medal). Two men were sentenced to penal servitude for life as a result.London Metropolitan Police Service - History - Timeline 1870-1889
Republican attacks during the Sabotage Campaign On 16 January 1939, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) launched a campaign of bombing and sabotage against the civil, economic, and military infrastructure of Britain. It was known as the S-Plan or Sabotage Campaign. During the campaign, the IRA carried out almost 300 attacks and acts of sabotage in Britain, killing seven people and injuring 96.Dingley, James. The IRA: The Irish Republican Army. ABC-CLIO, 2012. p.82 It petered out in early 1940.
1939 16 January 1939: a bomb exploded outside the control room of a large power station. It created a large crater in the forecourt of the building. There were no casualties and the control station was reportedly undamaged. A second explosion damaged an overhead cable running from Grand Union Canal to Willesden Power Station. 17 January 1939: A bomb exploded at Williams & Deacons Bank, damaging gas mains. 4 February 1939: Two bombs exploded in the London Underground – one at Tottenham Court Road station and one at Leicester Square station. They were timed suitcase bombs stored in the left-luggage rooms overnight. There were no deaths, although two people were wounded and severe damage was done to the stations."Campaign Of Violence", The Times, Monday, Feb. 6, 1939, Issue: 48222 9 February 1939: Two bombs exploded at King's Cross station. 2 March 1939: A bomb exploded on an aqueduct for the Grand Union Canal near Stonebridge Park.Stephan, Enno: "Spies in Ireland", page 15 Macdonald & Co. 1963 23 March 1939: Five bombs exploded at different times during the day. Targets included telephone and gas installations, and the offices of the News Chronicle in Fleet Street. 29 March 1939: Two bombs exploded on Hammersmith Bridge. 31 March 1939: Seven bombs exploded in different parts of the city. 13 April 1939: Six bombs exploded in London and Birmingham."Minor Explosions Last Night", Thursday, Apr. 13, 1939, The Times (London, England), issue: 48278 These had the appearance of being no more than trial explosions as all occurred in public lavatories. 5 May 1939: Two bombs exploded. 9 June 1939: Bombs exploded in thirty post offices and postboxes in London, Birmingham and Manchester."Explosions In London", Saturday, June 10, 1939, The Times (London, England), issue: 48328 24 June 1939: Several bombs exploded before or after a republican demonstration (under police protection) demanding the release of IRA volunteers.Stephan, Enno: "Spies in Ireland", page 42 Macdonald & Co. 1963 24 June 1939: Bombs exploded at the London branches of the Midland Bank, Westminster Bank and Lloyds Bank."Bomb Outrages In London", Monday, June 26, 1939, The Times (London, England), issue: 48341 26 July 1939: Two bombs exploded in the London Underground – one in the left-luggage area of King's Cross station and one in the left-luggage area of Victoria Station. In the King's Cross attack, one man was killed and two wounded. In the Victoria Station attack five were wounded.
1940 6 February 1940: Two bombs exploded in mailbags at Euston Station. 23 February 1940: Two bombs exploded in the West End. The devices had been placed in litter bins. More than 20 people were wounded. 6 March 1940: A bomb was set off at Park Lane Bank and in King's Inn Road in London. 17 March 1940: There was an explosion near Paddington Town Hall. 18 March 1940: Bomb explodes on a rubbish dump in London. No injuries.
Republican attacks during the Troubles
During the Troubles, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and other republican groups were responsible for nearly 500 incidents in England, most of them in London.McGladdery, Gary. The Provisional IRA in England. Irish Academic Press, 2006. p. xiv During the thirty-year campaign, 50 people were killed in London. This includes 28 civilians, 15 soldiers and 5 police officers. Two IRA members were also killed.Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland (search for 'London'). Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) In many cases telephoned warnings were given about bombs due to explode, identified as genuine by the use of a code word. In some cases the warning gave the wrong location, or did not give enough time to evacuate the area. Hoax calls, intended to cause disruption, were often made.
1970–1979 1973 8 March 1973: The Provisional Irish Republican Army conducted its first operation in England, planting four car bombs in London. Two of the car bombs were defused: a fertilizer bomb in a car outside the Post Office in Broadway and the BBC's armed forces radio studio in Dean Stanley Street. However, the other two exploded, one near the Old Bailey (1973 Old Bailey bombing) and the other at Ministry of Agriculture off Whitehall. Ten members of the IRA unit, including Gerry Kelly, Roy Walsh, Dolours Price and Marian Price, were arrested at Heathrow Airport trying to leave the country. 23 August 1973: A bomb was found in an abandoned bag in Baker Street station ticket hall. The bomb was defused. A week later another bomb was found by a member of staff at the same station and was also defused. 31 August: A bomb exploded in Old Quebec Street, Marble Arch damaging two hotels. 8 September 1973: A bomb exploded in the ticket office at Victoria station injuring 4 people. 10 September 1973: King's Cross station and Euston station bombings: Two bombs at mainline stations injured 13 people and brought chaos to central London. The first explosion at King's Cross station – which injured five people – occurred without any warning at 1224 BST, seconds after a witness saw a youth throw a bag into a booking hall. Fifty minutes later a second blast rocked a snack bar at Euston station, injuring a further eight people. 18 December 1973: 1973 Westminster bombing: A bomb exploded in Thorney Street, which leads off Horseferry Road. The bomb was planted in a car which was known to have been stolen in London, and was parked outside Horseferry House, a building occupied by the Home Office, and opposite Thames House, which is mainly occupied by the Department of Trade and Industry. Both these buildings, and others nearby, were extensively damaged. At least 40 people were injured. 24 December 1973: The Provisional IRA left two packages which exploded almost simultaneously in the late evening on Christmas Eve. One was in the doorway of the North Star public house, at the junction of College Crescent and Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage, which exploded injuring six people, and the other exploded on the upstairs verandah of the nearby Swiss Cottage Tavern where an unspecified number of people were injured. 26 December 1973: A bomb was detonated in a telephone kiosk in the booking hall at Sloane Square station. Nobody was injured.
1974 5 January 1974: Two bombs exploded within three minutes of each other. The first at Madame Tussauds, the second during the Boat Show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Police confirmed a telephone warning had been given shortly before both explosions allowing evacuations at both sites and there were no fatalities or injuries reported. It was later confirmed the devices had been planted by the IRA.More Explosions In London at Madame Tussauds Waxworks and The International Boat Show, ITN Source 5 January 1974, Retrieved 5 October 2013 19 May 1974: A bomb exploded on the third level of a multi-storey car park at Terminal 1 at Heathrow Airport, London. of explosive was left in a BMC 1100 car. The Press Association had received a warning at 11.05 a.m. and police were clearing the site at 11.17 a.m when the explosion occurred. Four people suffered minor injuries. Several vehicles were destroyed and others damaged. At 10.25 p.m. another warning was received about a bomb at the NAAFI headquarters in Kennington Lane. A police search found a bag containing about of explosive at the rear of the building. The bomb was defused. 17 June 1974: 1974 Houses of Parliament bombing: A bomb exploded at the Houses of Parliament in London, causing extensive damage and injuring 11 people. 17 July 1974: 1974 Tower of London bombing: An explosion in the Tower of London left one person dead and 41 injured. This was the second bomb in London on this day. At 0430 BST there was an explosion at government buildings in Balham, South London. Nobody was injured in the morning blast but there was substantial damage to surrounding buildings. 11 October 1974: Bombs explode at Victory Services Club and Army and Navy Club. One injured. 22 October 1974: Brook's Club bomb attack: A bomb exploded in the Brooks Club, London, injuring three members of staff. 24 October 1974: Harrow School bombing: No injuries. 7 November 1974: An off-duty soldier and a civilian were killed when a bomb was thrown through the window of the Kings Arms pub in Woolwich, and 28 people were injured. 25 and 27 November 1974: 1974 London pillar box bombings: Provisional IRA exploded bombs inside pillar boxes in various places around London, injuring 40 people. 30 November 1974: A device exploded near Talbot Public House in Little Chester Street, SW1. Eight people injured. 11 December 1974: One person was wounded in an explosion at the Naval and Military Club in Piccadilly. 14 December 1974: Shooting at the Churchill Hotel in Portman Square injured four people.