The London Underground opens, the world's first subway

On January 10, 1863, the Metropolitan Railway opened to the public between Paddington and Farringdon, becoming the world’s first underground passenger railway. The roughly 3¾-mile line burrowed beneath central London to spare commuters the choking congestion of the streets above.

Much of it was built by the disruptive “cut-and-cover” method—dig a trench, build brick walls and an arched roof, then repave the road on top. Steam locomotives hauled wooden carriages lit by gas lamps, filling the tunnels with smoke despite efforts at ventilation.

Londoners were undeterred. More than 38,000 passengers crowded the stations on opening day, with trains borrowed from other railways to meet demand. In its first year the line carried nearly 9.5 million riders.

It was the seed of today’s sprawling Underground—and the template for subway systems from New York to Tokyo that would follow over the next century.