Thick smog descended on London in December 1952, bringing the city to a standstill and contributing to the deaths of about 4,000 people. The Great Smog of London shrouded the city for four days.

causing "pea-soup" conditions where the smog appeared yellow or green due to sulphur pollutants. A London policeman wearing a mask for protection against the thick fog which hit most of the ...

A London policeman wearing a mask for protection against the thick fog which hit most of the country and turned to smog in the city on Jan. 1, 1962. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) ...

What it was like during London's Great Smog of 1952 - archive video As the winter of 1952 set in, though, the government sold low-smoke, black anthracite coal abroad to finance its war debts.

The smog choking Lahore today is not unprecedented. Let us consider the Great Smog of London in December 1952. This toxic fog, laden with smoke and pollutants, enveloped the city for five days ...