More Fun Facts About England

This country is certainly far older in history than other countries. There are many historic castles here, interesting history, unique landmarks and more. It's quirky to some, unique to some and even fascinating to some, all depending on your view. Here are some quirky, interesting and even fun facts about the land known as "across the pond"

If I ever get the chance to go "across the pond", I'll need to make sure I dress like the locals. Just to show respect. I'll have to do some research about what locals typically wear

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-A flock of birds landed on the minute hand of Big Ben and took the clock time back by five minutes in 1945

-The River Thames runs right through London and there are over 200 bridges crossing it and 20 tunnels running underneath it

-England is a highly diverse country, with over 300 languages spoken here and dozens of unique ethnicities of people living there

-There are more Indian restaurants in England than New Delhi and Mumbai combined

-The largest library on the planet is the London Library. It contains 170 million books

-The London Underground, also known to locals as The Tube, has 409 escalators

-"Big Ben" is not the name of the iconic clock tower. It's actually the name of the bell in St. Stephen's Tower, renamed in 2012 as Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth II

-Most of the cities in England have two football teams: one for the Catholics and the other for the Protestants

-When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, she was the longest reigning monarch in all of British history. She surpassed the reign of Queen Victoria

https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/blog/interesting-facts-about-england/

Winchester was actually the first capital in England, not London

-Located in Hampshire, the city of Winchester was the capital city in England, not London. During the 10th century, King Alfred of Wessex decided to make London the capital due to the opportunities for trade

For over 300 years, French was the official language in England

-It might sound strange, but French was the official language spoken in England. It was mostly spoken by the upper classes while the lower classes spoke English. The reason for the French language is William the Conqueror of France completed the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over the years, French is still spoken in England, with names like Richard, William and Robert being popular names

Several iconic scientists were born in England

-That's right. Several of the leading people in science were born in England. Sir Isaac Newton, who provided the world with the laws of motion and gravity and the theory of color, was born in Lincolnshire in 1643. Stephen Hawking, a world famous physicist who provided the world with theories on exploding black holes and revolutionizing the field of astronomy, was born in 1942 in Cambridgeshire. There's also Alan Turing, a London-born mathematician and computer scientist who invented the Turing Machine and Turing Test to break the Enigma Code, set up by the Nazis. The Enigma Code encrypted all German communications and Turing's machine unencrypted the messages, halting the German war effort

Sir Isaac Newton

Stephen Hawking

Alan Turing

The World Wide Web (WWW) was invented in England

-You read that right. The internet, as we know it, was born "across the pond." It was born in 1989 thanks to Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist. While working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, he began a project to share information with other people all over the world. It was used privately until 1993, when CERN opened it to the public

Random culture facts about England

It's considered illegal to be intoxicated in English pubs

-This seems like the strangest law in the world, especially in a country known for having around 35,000 pubs. Enacted in 1872, this law was created with safety in mind. The law bans anyone from becoming intoxicated anywhere that is not their own private home. While it does sound strange, it's designed to keep drinking levels down and safety up

Two of the most common names are Oliver and Olivia

-The top baby names of 2020 were Oliver and Olivia according to the National Institute for Statistics. Babies named Oliver were in and around Hertfordshire on the Northeast coast of England while babies named Olivia were in and around the Southern coast of England

English is the most heavily spoken language worldwide

-Statista reports that as of 2022, English is the most heavily spoken language worldwide. There are 1.5 billion speakers of English

The most heavily photographed mountain is Scafell Pike in the UK

-Most people on Instagram like to post pictures of themselves in front of Scafell Pike in the Lake District, raking in a massive 85,100 geotags on Instagram

Food facts in England

Sparkling wine was invented in England

-This might sound strange, as you might think sparkling wine is more of a French discovery. But, strangely, it's all English in origin. It's widely believed that a French monk named Dom Perignon invented sparkling wine in 1697. According to the BBC, an English scientist named Christopher Merrett, hailing from the village of Winchcombe in The Cotswolds, discovered sparkling wine 30 years before the monk did

Liverpool is the tea capital of England

-When you hear Liverpool, I'm sure the first thing that pops up is The Beatles or "The Fab Four" as they are known. Survey site Typhoo found that Liverpool residents consume more cups of tea than anyone else. It's said that they drink up to nine cups a day

Yorkshire is the largest county in England

-It takes up 11% of England's geography. Two UNESCO World Heritage sites are located here: Saltair & Salts Mill and Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Southern England is mostly flat

-Areas like The Cotswolds and the Chiltern Hills in southern England are a lot flatter than the northern regions, like the Lake District. The southern region of England offers breathtaking views of beautiful countryside. You can get a mix of coastal and countryside when visiting South Downs National Park

England is very close to mainland Europe

-Brits can access mainland Europe through the Channel Tunnel, also known as the "Chunnel", a tunnel than runs under the English Channel. Built in 1993, it's considered to be the longest underwater tunnel in the world. Thanks to this handy invention, you can go from London to Paris in only two and a half hours

No matter where you are in England, you'll always be within reasonable distance of the sea

-No matter where you are, the sea will always be 115km of your location. The city that is farthest from the sea is Coton in The Elms in Derbyshire. For those who live in cities, they can breathe easy knowing the nearest beach destination is within a reasonable amount of time from them

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The Tower of London has served many lives over the years

-This iconic location in England is visited by tons of tourists. It's had many lives over the years, serving as a royal palace, armory, zoo and even a prison

Fish and Chips is one of the more popular dishes

-Invented in the 1860s, the iconic English staple is one of the most popular British comfort foods across England

Afternoon tea was born in the 1840s

-This calm, serene atmosphere is what you'll get with afternoon tea. This occasion was born in the 1840s and involves various teas with various desserts, such as scones, cakes and sandwiches

The Football Association was born in 1863

-Soccer (football) became codified in England with the creation of the Football Association in 1863. This association is where all of the teams in England belong to

"Remember, remember the the Fifth of November"

-This might sound like a nursery rhyme. In a way, it's something iconic and unique to England. It's referencing Guy Fawkes Night. Celebrated on the 5th of November, it celebrates Guy Fawkes stopping the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 with fireworks and bonfires

The Lake District National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site

-This beautiful park features deep valleys, sparkling lakes and beautiful mountains. It's a hiker's dream come true. This location is now designated a UNESCO World Heritage site

The Beatles changed music as we know it

-This quartet from Liverpool made history by changing music as we know it. They, to this day, remain one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history

Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world

-Established in the 12th century, this highly acclaimed university is still running and accepting students to this day

Cambridge University is known for producing more Nobel Prize winners than any other university

-This university, established in 1209, has churned out many successful people, including dozens of Nobel Prize winners