London Bridge
A bridge has existed at or near the present site for nearly 2,000 years. The first bridge across the Thames in the London area was built of wood by the Romans on the present site around 60 AD. The location was most likely chosen as a bridge able spot which still had deepwater access to the sea. The bridge fell into disrepair after the Romans left, but at some point either it was repaired or a new timber replacement constructed, probably more than once. In 1014, the bridge was torn down by the Norwegian king Olaf as he was aiding King Aethelred in a successful bid to divide the defending forces of the Danes who held the walled City of London plus Southwark, thereby regaining London for the Anglo-Saxon king. This episode might have inspired the well-known nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down although the version of the song known today refers to the many bridges that were destroyed and rebuilt, and the trading done on the shops over it ("Silver and Gold") in the 14th century so the song's origin is presumably of a much later date. The rebuilt London Bridge was destroyed in 1091 by a storm that spawned a Tornado which also struck St Mary Le Bow and is known as the London Tornado 1091 It was destroyed yet again, this time by fire, in 1136.
On Aril 18th 1968 Rennie's bridge was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert McCulloch for US$2,460,000. A popular urban legend is that he believed mistakenly that he was buying the more impressive Tower Bridge although McCulloch denied this as the bridge was disassembled, each piece was numbered to aid reassembly and those markings can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City Arizona and re-dedicated on October 10 1971. The reconstruction of Rennie's London Bridge spans a man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the centerpiece of a theme park in English style, complete with mock-Tudor shopping mall . Rennie's London Bridge has become Arizona's second-biggest tourist attraction, after the Grand Canyon.
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