SECOND GREAT FIRE OF LONDON: The night of December 29, 1940 was the worst night of blitz. More than 100,000 incendiary bombs were dropped over London. Fires—1500 of them—burned all over town.

That night London lost 160 of its citizens, 31 of its guild halls, 19 of its churches, and much more. But, thanks to the heroic efforts of its fire fighters, it did not lose St. Paul’s Cathedral.