Piccadilly Circus timeline

1896

Piccadilly Circus before the turn of the 20th Century.

1931

In 1783 a young Swiss watchmaker, Jean Jacob Schweppe, patented his special process for making carbonated water, effectively making himself the father of the modern soft drinks industry. Schweppes' tonic water is still recognised by mixologists as key to making the best gin and tonic. 

1939-49

The lights were switched off for 10 years during World War Two.

1956

William Wrigley Junior was one of the pioneers in the use of advertising to sell branded merchandise, using the principle "Even in a little thing like a stick of gum, quality is important." Wrigley brands can now be found in more than 180 countries worldwide.

1965

Diana Vreeland, Editor of Vogue Magazine, declares that "London is the most swinging city in the world".

1966

Even in 1931 it was 'Guiness Time', and that was still the case in 1966, hence the enduring clock. By 1966 it was 'Guiness Time' for over six million glasses a day. The profusion of Irish pubs around the globe today is unlikely to have taken place without this deep black liquid and its now famous white head. 

1972

The VW Beetle becomes the biggest selling car in history, overtaking the T model Ford.

1988

Kodak, founded in 1880, has done more than make the camera 'as convenient as the pencil'. Their transparent roll film allowed the invention of the first motion picture camera in 1891 (and Kodak film is still used on most movie sets worldwide). Kodak's pivotal role in medical imaging began a little later, a year after the discovery of x-rays in 1895. 

2000

The UK seemingly strolls through the Millennium Bug disaster.

2003

Another famous black liquid, whose company sells over a billion drinks a day, scarcley needs introduction. Coca-Cola has had a presence at Piccadilly Lights for over fifty years. Their new, enormous billboard, installed in 2003, allows for cinema-quality moving images that react to colour and movement in the crowd below, and even adapt their images to the weather. (2005 campaign shown) 

2005

Samsung's recent global successes have been built on a string of world firsts in next-generation technologies...as a source of impossible and wonderful things we will soon come to take for granted, they are the market leaders. Along with Coca-Cola and McDonald's, Samsung's sign has also been updated to LED, tilting the balance of the site firmly towards the future. 

2007

For over 100 years Piccadilly Lights has been imbedded in London's history, a beacon of success...

2008

A bigger, brighter McDonalds screen is installed

2011

Hyundai Motors signed launched with new LED screen, replacing Sanyo’s sign, the last to be run by traditional neon lights.  The Samsung screen is upgraded and improved in autumn 2011.

2013

The Piccadilly Light Screen is removed to make way for the new ‘One Piccadilly’ screen.

http://www.piccadillylights.co.uk/about/history