Nine years ago today, at 09:47, an 18 year-old man called Hasib Hussain detonated a bomb on the top deck of a number 30 bus in Tavistock Square, killing himself and 13 others. The picture shows the memorial that is now located next to the spot where the bomb exploded, bearing the names of the victims. Here are those names, with their ages, shown from the youngest to the oldest:

Shahara Islam (20)
Anthony Fatayi-Williams (26)
Sam Ly (28)
Philip Russell (28)
Jamie Gordon (30)
Shayanuja Parathasangary (30)
Miriam Hyman (31)
Marie Hartley (34)
Neetu Jain (37)
Anat Rosenberg (39)
Gladys Wundowa (50)
William Wise (54)
Giles Hart (55)

Despite the wicked plans of this bomber, and the three others who detonated bombs on London Underground trains that morning - killing 52 people plus the four bombers in total and injuring over 700 others - things could actually have been far worse.

In Tavistock Square, the bus was right outside the headquarters of the British Medical Association when the bomb went off, where a medical conference was being held that meant that dozens of doctors were on hand to offer lifesaving expertise. You can read about this on the BBC web site. Other ‘coincidences’ that day are recorded here, many of which no doubt contributed to keeping the death toll lower than it could have been.

As the the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, tweeted this morning:
In memory of 07/07/05 on behalf of all Londoners, we will never forget you, and this city will never give in to those who try and divide us