The Killer Fog: London's Great Smog of 1952 episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 21, 2026 · 13 MIN

The Killer Fog: London's Great Smog of 1952

from History Shorts

In December 1952, a thick blanket of fog descended upon London. At first, it seemed like a familiar winter nuisance. But this was no ordinary fog. Mixed with smoke from millions of coal fires and trapped by unusual weather conditions, it became a toxic cloud that brought one of the world's greatest cities to a standstill. In this episode of History Shorts, we explore the deadly Great Smog of London, a five-day environmental disaster that turned daylight into darkness, halted transportation, and left thousands struggling to breathe. As hospitals overflowed and visibility dropped to just a few feet, Londoners found themselves confronting an invisible killer lurking in the air around them.   SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/HistoryShortsPodcast ADVERTISE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/advertise   LEARN MORE: https://www.historyshortspodcast.com/ SPONSORED BY: https://www.podcastrepublic.net/get-it-now 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 21, 2026

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The Killer Fog: London's Great Smog of 1952

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