To mark the ten year anniversary of the London 7/7 terrorist attacks, HuffPost is running Beyond The Bombings, a special series of interviews, blogs, in-depth features and exclusive research reflecting on how Britain has changed since.
Some of the victims were Londoners, while others commuted into the capital for work. Some were only in the city for the day.
On the 10th anniversary of the July 7 bombings, we commemorate the 52 people who were killed by terrorists in four separate attacks across London. Each has their own story, often marked by heart-wrenching coincidences and the hopes of future plans that they were not able to live out.
How the bombings unfolded on July 7 2005
Mohammad Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Germaine Lindsay and Hasib Hussain killed themselves when they detonated bombs at Edgware Road, Aldgate and near Russell Square tube stations, and on a bus in Tavistock Square respectively. The explosions were the worst terror attacks on British soil, injuring nearly 800 people.
Many who died in the final explosion on the bus in Tavistock Square had already been evacuated from Tube stations, and called their families to tell them they were safe.
Today the country will fall silent at 11.30am to remember those who lost their lives in the attacks.
A memorial service will be held at St Paul's Cathedral, attended by David Cameron, Boris Johnson and the Duke of York, as well as survivors and families of the victims.
The prime minister and mayor of London were pictured earlier today laying wreaths at the memorial in Hyde Park.
Boris Johnson and David Cameron lay wreaths at the Hyde Park 7/7 memorial
In an exclusive blog for HuffPost UK, Johnson paid tribute to victim Miriam Hyman and spoke of London's defiance in the face of terror.
He said: "We of course have this important consolation, 10 years on - that whatever the pain they caused, whatever the wounds they dealt, those killers failed in their real aim.
"They did not change the fundamental things about this city that make it great. In the last 10 years London has if anything become more cosmopolitan, more exciting, more dynamic - more obviously the capital of the world. It is still a place of hope, a place where people come to make their dreams."
Some of those killed, like young musician Jennifer Nicholson, 24, were on a cusp of promising careers, while others like activist Giles Hart, 55, had contributed to issues like human rights and trade unionism. Neetu Jain, 37, was about to get engaged, while Benedetta Ciaccia,30, was weeks from her wedding day.
One, William Wise, 54, was only caught up in the attacks because he forgot his glasses and went home to retrieve them.
Here we remember each of the victims.
ON THE BLOG:
MORE BEYOND THE BOMBINGS:
- EXCLUSIVE: More Than Half Of Britons Now See Muslims As A Threat
- Gill Hicks, Inspirational 7/7 Bombings Survivor, Reveals Why She'll Never Give Up Fighting Extremism
- The Ex-Guardian Journalist Who Accidentally Fuelled 7/7 Conspiracy Theories