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What follows is a (un-comprehensive) list of London's deadliest and often forgotten disasters, complete with links in red to any interesting articles, so you can read about them for yourself and share with friends so those who died won't have died in vain and will no longer be forgotten. The Denmark Place Fire - On the 16th August 1980, in an illegal nightclub at 18 Denmark Place, a disgruntled customer - who felt he'd been overcharged for a drink - set fire to the building, killing 37 occupants. Although there has never been a memorial to the dead, this remains London's deadliest blaze since the Blitz. Murder Mile Walks is the only walk in London that covers this forgotten tragedy. To hear the full story, download episode one of the Murder Mile podcast. The Colney Hatch Fire - On 27th January 1903, in a timber-framed annex of The Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum, 52 patients (all female) were burned alive in the Jewish wing, either in their beds or huddled in corners. This remains the worst peacetime fire in London's history since the medieval period. In 1993, Colney Hatch (renamed Friern Hospital) ceased being a psychiatric unit and is now private luxury apartments. The Great Beer Flood - On the 17th October 1814, a colossal beer vat at The Horse Shoe Brewery situated on Tottenham Court Road ruptured, causing a wave of 135,000 gallons of locally brewed Porter Ale to flood the street, killing eight people, including a family who drowned in their own basement. Read more about it in my blog. The Soho Cholera Outbreak - On the 31st August 1856, several outbreaks of cholera erupted in Soho, killing 616 people (one sixth of Soho's population). How did it start? Who solved it? How was it solved? Why is there a pub named after Dr John Snow on Lexington Street? And how did this tragedy change the way that we all live today? Read the full story in my blog The Bethnal Green Tube Disaster - On a rainy night on the 3rd March 1943, an air-raid siren sounded, which lured hundreds of people to come to Bethnal Green Underground for shelter from the bombs. Unfortunately in the rush for safety, one person slipped on the wet steps and what followed became the London Underground's deadliest accident, with 173 people killed and 62 injured. Read more here. The Fatal Vespers of Blackfriars - On the 3rd July 1322, 52 men & women were crushed to death, as they waited for alms (money for the poor) when the floors of the Blackfriars Monastery collapsed. The only accurate account I can find is this tiny morsel. And yet, on 26th October 1623, 95 members of a Catholic Congregation were killed (with many more injured) when the chapel floor gave way. The Toxic Sewer of Pimlico - On the 12th October 1849, three workers - Thomas Gee, Daniel Peart and John Attwood — entered a sewer on Willow Way and never returned alive. When their bodies were finally recovered, their faces, necks and chest were completely bronzed, as a result of deadly carbonic acid. Read more here. The SS Princess Alice Disaster - On the evening of the 3rd September 1878, a paddle-steamer named the SS Princess Alice collided on the River Thames with military coal-ship called the Bywell Castle just by Tripcock Point (near North Woolwich Pier) and sunk, with the loss of 650 lives. This is the greatest loss of life in any shipping disaster in the history of the Thames. The Marchioness Disaster - On the evening of the 20th August 1989, a pleasure steamer called 'The Marchioness' - which was hosting a private party - fatally collided with a Thames dredger known as 'Bowbelle'. The heavier dredger pulled the much lighter pleasure-craft under the water, killing 51 people. The Great Fire of London (1212AD) - When anyone mentions The Great Fire of London we all think of the 1666 fire, which destroyed great swathes of medieval London, but which miraculously only killed six people. A much deadlier Great Fire of London (of which there have been many) occurred on the 10th July 1212 and killed 3000+ people on London Bridge alone. Read more. Regent's Park Skating Disaster - On the 15th January 1867, with ice-skating being the latest craze and winter in full swing, hundreds of people flocked to Regent's Park. But with the thin ice unable to cope under the weight, 200+ skaters plunged into the icy cold waters, with many being weighed down by heavy Victorian winter clothing. Only 40 bodies were recovered. Moorgate Tube Crash - On the 28th February 1975, on the HIghbury branch of the Northern Line, a packed tube train failed to stop and came to an abrupt stop when it hit the wall of the southern terminus, killing 43 people and injuring 74. Of course, something (or should I say someone) more horrific was riding the Northern Line around that time. He was the London's Underground's very own serial killer. Battersea Park Big-Dipper Accident - On the afternoon of 30th May 1972, five children were killed and thirteen were injured when a three-car wooden train on the Big Dipper at Battersea Park detached from its drive train and hurtled backwards at great speed, fifteen metres above the park. Read more. Theatre Royal Fire - On the 30th September 1808, a fire broke out at The Theatre Royal in Covent Garden killing 26 theatre goers, fire-fighters and even bystanders. Read more. Regents Park & Hyde Park Bombing - On the 20th July 1982, the IRA (Irish republican Army) detonated - within 2hrs of each other - a bomb at Regent's Park & Hyde Park. The first explosion in Hyde Park killed two soldiers and injured twenty-three others, with the second bomb in Regent's Park killing six soldiers and injuring twenty-four people and numerous horses. Read more. Warning: graphic images. Oddly, given that London is surrounded by two of the busiest airports in the world (Heathrow and Gatwick), as well as Luton and Stanstead, London has had very few peacetime air disasters.
And one infamous "near (but now nearly forgotten) air-accident" almost occurred on 5th April 1968 when RAF pilot Alan Pollock performed a series of dangerous and unauthorised low-level flights over several famous London landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, Embankment as well as flying through the upper span of Tower Bridge. (image is an artist's interpretation of the incident) Obviously this isn't a comprehensive list of many of London's forgotten disasters, there are many disasters in London (and across the world) which often go unreported; sometimes because a more important news-story has taken precidence (as with the sinking of Titanic's twin sister - The Britannia - barely a few years later) or because - in the case of the Denmark Street Fire - the bulding was primarily full of illegal immigrants, so nobody (including the press) cared. If you liked this blog, you may also like London's Bloodiest Execution Sites. Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, crime historian and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten quirky & unusual things to do in London” and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totalling 75 deaths, over just a one mile walk.
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In the final part of Murder Mile's three part blog on whether a star-sign, birthday or lunar cycle could help predict if anyone is more/less predisposed to being a serial killer, we present a curious look at whether serial killers are more likely to be born... during a full-moon? Just as (we've seen in my previous blogs) serial killers are three times more likely to be a Gemini than most other star signs and twice as likely to be born on a Monday than any other day.
Which is not to say that the "position of the moon" is the overall factor in determining whether someone could become a serial killer - of course not, that's just stupid - but what I'm asking is, could these small, yet seemingly insignificant details be a contributing factor worth considering? Consider this: the Moon is the fulcrum upon which the Earth generates and regulates its gravity, the Moon is vital for regulating time, days, moods, sleep, seasons and it is scientifically proven that more people are born and die during the ebb-tide (3am & 3pm, when the moon's gravitational pull is at its weakest). So could the position of the Moon have a significant affect on a (future) serial killer during one of the most traumatic experiences of their life - their own birth? As before, the following is taken from a sample of 38 of the world's most infamous serial killers (including Dennis Nilsen, Ted Bundy, Aileen Wuornos, Hindley & Brady and Dr Shipman), as used in my previous blog on the most popular names for serial killers, with a few notable exceptions where I was unable to track their exact date of birth (listed in the footnotes**). Are more serial killers born during a full moon? Or maybe, more murderers were born during a new moon, first quarter, last quarter or maybe it makes no difference what-so-ever? Let's find out.
What Was The Lunar Cycle On The Day A Serial Killer Was Born?
What follows is a list of 38 infamous UK/USA serial killers and murderers, their birthdays and what phase the moon was in on the day they were born. You can work out what your birth lunar cycle was by clicking here and changing the year (../1976) at the end of the web address. The lunar cycle has distinct four phases: Full Moon, New (or no) Moon, First Quarter and Third Quarter (which are often referred to as a crescent moon). Simply for speed and to save confusion, I've eliminated waxing & waning crescents, although this may appear in later blogs.
* denotes a birth on the exact day of that specific Moon phase ** denotes a birth exactly in the middle two Moon phases No asterisk denotes being born during any other day
And to summarise this:
Does this mean that those born on/near a Full/New Moon are three times more likely to be a serial killer of mass murderer? Probably not. But - as before - let's delve in a little deeper into the personality traits of those born under specific moon phases to see whether the moon phase could affect your personality, as kindly purloined from the lunar natal site Cafe Astrology.
FULL MOON: An idealist who is always searching for belief system they can relate to, has high value of family life, they are thoughtful, emotional and caring yet struggles to fit in, because of thier need for perfection and completion, so often gets bogged down by their desires. Murderers born under a full moon include; Dennis Nilsen, David Berkowitz, Dr Harold Shipman, Joel Rifkin and Beverly Allitt.
NEW MOON: Intuitive and instinctive, who navigate life without a map or a plan, and yet seem to reach their destination with time to spare, but are often too self-involved to see the dangers and are unwilling to learn when confronted by unsavoury facts or unpleasant truths. Murderers born under a New Moon include: John Wayne Gacy, Peter Sutcluffe, Ted Bundy, Ian Brady, Jeffrey Dahmer and Velma Barfield.
1ST QUARTER: Trail blazers, able to rise to the occasion, make split second decisions and tear down old structures, but often they get bored too easily and create havoc for the sake of excitement, and yet sometimes this conflict helps balance the status quo. Murderers born under a 1st Quarter include: Fred West, Ed Gein, Myra Hindley and John George Haigh "The Acid Bath Murderer".
3RD QUARTER: Appearing to be in a world of their own and yet they are great at re-evaluating life, thoughts and actions. Although regarded by others as uncooperative and rebellious, they are often very surprising, but easily get disillusioned with the shackles of life. Murderers born under a 3rd Quarter include: Albert DeSalvo, Rose West and Jeffrey Dahmer.
So, are more serial killers and murderers born under a Full Moon? Yes. But almost as many as were born under a New Moon? So what does this mean? Could there a correlation between the strength of the moon during a traumatic event (with our births being just one of many events) which could contribute to the creation of a serial killer? Who knows.
But this information is not to be taken in isolation - as stated at the start - this is just a small exploratory study to see if the lunar phase could be a contributing factor in the early development of a serial killer, just as their names, jobs, music, foods and favourite drinks could also be?
If you "enjoyed" this blog post, take a peek at other intreguing topics such as; Killer Couples Part 1 & Part 2, Life, Death & Whole Life Sentences, Famous British Serial Killers - Where Are They Now? Serial Killers & Murderers Who Were Never Caught, London's Deadliest & Often Forgotten Disasters, KIllers Born During a Full Moon, Killer's Birthdays / Star Signs, Serial Killers Who Were On TV, Celebrities Who Have Killed, London's Railway of Death, Serial Killers as Kids and the World's Weirdest Death Rituals
Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, crime historian and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten quirky & unusual things to do in London” and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totalling 75 deaths, over just a one mile walk.
If you love true-crime podcasts, subscribe to the Murder Mile true-crime podcast on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podbean, Pocketcast, Stitcher, Acast, Tune-In, Otto Radio or Libsyn
It is often said that you can tell a lot about a person's personality by their zodiac or star-sign; whether they're mild-mannered, moody or mischievous, happy, half-witted or horny, astrologers believe that everything about us is "in the stars". But is this also true about serial killers? Can the stars predict a madness according due to the month they're born? Are Pisces predatory, Virgos vicious, Geminis less likely to garrote or an Aquarius almost certain to go ape-shit? And more importantly, do you share a star-sign (and personality traits) with a mass murderer? Let's find out.
The following study is taken from a RANDOM SAMPLE of 100 of the world's most infamous serial killers with a few notable exceptions where I was unable to track their exact date of birth (listed in the footnotes**). Therefore not every serial killer nor murderer can be included. This is a part one of a three-part blog on whether the star-sign*, birthday or lunar cycle can predict whether anyone is predisposed to becoming a serial killer. Who knows, it may be you?
Love true-crime podcasts? Try the Murder Mile, featuring 300+ unsolved, untold and long forgotten murders, within 1 square mile. Click PLAY on the media player below to listen to Ep1.
If you love true-crime podcasts, subscribe to the Murder Mile true-crime podcast on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podbean, Pocketcast, Stitcher, Acast, Tune-In, Otto Radio or Libsyn
Which Serial KIller Shares My Zodiac/Star-Sign?
So what does that mean? Are those born under the sign of Gemini, Pisces and Capricorn more likely to be murderers, with those born under Cancer being more placid and less likely to kill, and every other star sign set aside to be... erm... their victims? Let's see. The following attributes of each star-sign was kindly purloined from The Psychic Guild website and Astrology.com. .
ARIES: Strengths; independent, generous, optimistic, enthusiastic and courageous. Weaknesses; moody, short tempered, self-involved, impulsive and impatient. Ruling planet: Mars (God of War), life pursuit: the thrill of the moment, secret desire: to lead the way for others, and serial killers who are an Aries; Henri Desire "The Ladykiller" Landru (who romantically trapped widows and murdered them for their money), John Reginald Christie (the West London strangler, necrophile and murderer who killed under the guise of a kindly neighbourhood abortionist) and Judy Buenoano.
TAURUS: Strengths; dependable, persistent, loyal, patient and generous. Weaknesses; stubborn, laziness, possessive, materialistic and self-indulgent. Symbol: the bull, life pursuit: emotional and financial security, secret desire: to have a secure, happy and wealthy life/marriage, and serial killers who are a Taurus; Albert Fish (the child killer and cannibal), Orville Lynn Majors and Michael “Hungerford Massacre” Ryan
GEMINI: Strengths; energetic, clever, imaginative, witty and adaptable. Weaknesses; superficial, impulsive, restless, devious and indecisive. Life pursuit: to explore a little bit of everything, intense mental energy, secret desire: to be ahead of the crowd, and serial killers who are Gemini; Peter "Yorkshire Ripper" Sutcliffe, Peter "The Vampire of Dusseldorf" Kurten, Anthony "The Camden Ripper" Hardy, David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz, Jeffrey "The Killer Cannibal" Dahmer and Dr Thomas "The Lambeth Poisoner" Neil Cream. And if you're wondering? No, they don't just dole out notorious nicknames to anyone, you have to have... erm... earned it.
Oh, and who else is a Gemini? The 45th President of the USA - Donald J Trump.
CANCER: Strengths; loyalty, dependable, caring, adaptable and responsive. Weaknesses; moody, clingy, self-pitying, oversensitive and self-absorbed. Life pursuit: constant reassurance and intimacy, secret desire: to feel safe (emotionally, spiritually and financially). That's an interesting series of personality traits given that there are ONLY TWO SERIAL KILLERS (in the list above) were born under the sign of CANCER. Hmm.
LEO: Strengths; confident, ambitious, generous, loyal and encouraging. Weaknesses; pretentious, domineering, melodramatic, stubborn and vain. Symbol: the lion, life pursuit: to lead the way, secret desire: to be a star, and serial killers who are a Leo; John George "The Acid Bath Murderer" Haigh, Myra "Moors Murderer" Hindley and Faye Copeland (aged 69, with her husband Ray aged 78, they were the oldest couple ever sentenced to death for murder in the USA).
VIRGO: Strengths; analytical, observant, helpful, reliable and precise. Weakness; sceptical, fussy, inflexible, cold and interfering. Symbol: the virgin, life pursuit: to do the right thing, secret desire: to love and be loved in return, and serial killers who were Virgo; Dr H H Crippin (supposedly killed his wife to marry his mistress), Albert "The Boston Strangler" DeSalvo and Ed Gein (the inspiration for Norman Bates in Psycho who slept with his dead mother's corpse, fashioned himself a "woman suit" made from the skins of his victims, as well as wearing belts made from their nipples, making lampshades from their faces and eating out of bowls made from their skulls).
LIBRA: Strengths; diplomatic, graceful, peaceful, idealistic and hospitable. Weaknesses; superficial, vain, indecisive and unreliable. Life pursuit: to be consistent, often unsteady, secret desire: to live an easy, uncomplicated life, and serial killers who are Libra; Fred West (part of the notorious killer couple Fred & Rose West), Derrick "The Cumbria Killer" Bird and Beverly "The Angel of Death" Allitt (a paediatric nurse who'd attempt to murder 13 sick children under her care in just two months).
SCORPIO: Strengths; loyal, passionate, resourceful, observant and dynamic. Weaknesses: jealous, obsessive, suspicious, manipulative and unyielding. Symbol: the Scorpion, life pursuit: to survive against all opposition, resilient, secret desire: to triumph, and serial killers who are Scorpio; Kimberly Clark-Saenz, Kristen Gilbert and Velma Barfield - all of whom were nurses who killed their patients.
SAGITTARIUS: Strengths; independence. Weaknesses; unemotional (oddly there were only two personality traits listed for Sagittarius, it's almost as if they're robots or inhuman)? Life pursuit: to live the good life, overly expressive with frequent burnouts, secret desire: to make a difference in the world, and serial killers who are Sagittarius; Dennis Nilsen (murdered 15 men, attempted to murder 9 others), Ted Bundy (killer of 30+ victims and necrophile), Edmund "The Co-Ed Killer" Kemper and Rosemary West. (Learn more about the life of Dennis Nilsen on a Murder Mile Walks tour).
CAPRICORN: Strengths; responsible, patient, ambitious, resourceful and loyal. Weaknesses; dictatorial, inhibited, conceited, distrusting and unimaginative. Life pursuit: to be proud of their achievements, powerful resilient energy, secret desire: to be admired by their family and friends and the world at large, and serial killers who were Capricorn; "Moors Murderer" Ian Brady, "Doctor Death" Harold Shipman (283 known victims, estimated to be 400+), Cynthia Coffman (lured four women to their deaths at the hands of her brutal husband), Dorothea "The Death House Landlady" Puente and Janie Lou Gibbs, who murdered her three sons, grandson and husband with rat poison.
AQUARIUS: Strengths; witty, clever, humanitarian, inventive and original. Weaknesses; stubborn, unemotional, sarcastic, rebellious and aloof. Life pursuit: to understand life's mysteries, secret desire: to be unique and original, and serial killers who are Aquarius; Joel Rifkin. That's it. And for those of you who don't know, I am an Aquarius, and as much as I don't believe in Astrology, that's a pretty accurate assessment of me. Eek!
PISCES: Strengths; compassionate, adaptable, accepting, devoted and imaginative. Weaknesses; oversensitive, indecisive, self-pitying, lazy and escapist. Life pursuit: to avoid feeling alone and instead feel connected to others and the world at large, erratic energy levels, secret desire: to live their dreams and turn fantasies into realities, and serial killers who are Pisces; John Wayne "The Killer Clown" Gacy (sadist, serial killer and children's entertainer), Richard "The Night Stalker" Ramirez, Colin "The Gay Slayer" Ireland (who pretended to be gay to lure homosexual men to their deaths) and Aileen Wuornos (prostitute, who murdered her punters, claiming self-defence in all cases).
Whether you believe in Astrology or not, I think it's safe to say, by the personality traits alone, steer clear of anyone who is a Gemini, Pisces and Capricorn, and anyone else in between, except Cancer and Aquarius. Join me for next week's blog which asks: "could you be a serial killer because of the day you were born?"
If you "enjoyed" this blog post, why not take a peek at; Serial Killers as Siblings, Serial Killer's Nicknames, Serial Killers Who Were Never Caught, London's Deadliest & Often Forgotten Disasters, Are More Serial KIllers Born During a Full Moon, Killer's Birthdays / Star Signs, Serial Killers Who Were On TV, Celebrities Who Have Killed, London's Railway of Death, Serial Killers as Kids and the World's Weirdest Death Rituals.
* Obviously anything to do with Astrology is slightly cocked up, given that the exact dates in which your star-sign sits changes according to the celestial cycle, as explained by New Scientist
** Those I couldn't find the exact birth dates of were Linda Hazzard 1867, Catherine Flannagan, “Black Widows of Liverpool” 1829, Margaret Higgins “Black Widows of Liverpool” 1829, Mary Elizabeth Wilson 1893, Rhonda Belle Martin 1907, Tillie Klimek 1876, Jane Toppan 1857, Amy Archer-Gilligan 1868, Amelia Dyer 1837, Gordon Frederick Cummins 1913/14, William Burke “The body snatchers” 1792, William Hare “The body snatchers” 1792, and Michael Lupo 1953. Oddly, excluding those born overseas, the majority were working-class females.
Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, crime historian and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten quirky & unusual things to do in London” and featuring 12 murderers, 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totalling 75 deaths, over just a one mile walk.
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AuthorMichael J Buchanan-Dunne is a crime writer, podcaster of Murder Mile UK True Crime and creator of true-crime TV series. 
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