Coal Pollution, Great Smog Of London

1952 • London

For five days in December of 1952, a mass of cold air trapped pollution above London, and "a city already famous for its smog experienced the worst air pollution it had ever seen. A thick haze hovered over the streets, penetrating homes and offices. Public transportation nearly ground to a halt, and at night the visibility was so poor that some parts of London became unnavigable . . . Some 4,000 people died of respiratory ailments in those five days, and perhaps an additional 8,000 in the months that followed."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/science/why-the-great-smog-of-london-was-anything-but-great.html

Courtesy of N T Stobbs