London (CNN) — Ten years have passed since four coordinated bomb attacks tore apart subway trains and a bus in central London, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more.
The United Kingdom marked the somber anniversary Tuesday with a national minute of silence at 11:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET).
Londoners stood, heads bowed, in memory of those lost and laid flowers by London Underground stations and in the square where the bus bomb exploded.
Buses and trains also came to a halt, where possible, for the moment’s silence in recognition of the losses suffered on the public transit network.
A formal service of commemoration was held at the landmark St. Paul’s Cathedral, bringing together survivors of the blasts, the families of those killed and first responders.
The Bishop of London, the Right Rev. Richard Chartres, said it would have been easy for the shock after the bombings to erupt into anger, but this didn’t happen. “London had been attacked, and our unity was in our grieving,” he said.
Prince Andrew and London Mayor Boris Johnson were also present for the service, which included reflections on each of the four bombing sites. Priests who helped those affected by the attacks also took part.
The capital’s Hyde Park, where a memorial to those killed on July 7, 2005, stands, is the focus of two ceremonies.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Johnson laid wreaths there Tuesday morning, in a commemoration timed to coincide with the detonation of the first device.
An afternoon event at the memorial — made up of 52 stainless steel pillars, each representing one of the victims — will be attended by Prince William.
The start of play at London’s iconic Wimbledon tennis tournament was delayed by 45 minutes to allow spectators and players to observe the moment’s silence.
‘Walk together’ call
The bombings remain the deadliest terrorist attack ever in Britain.
The capital was thrown into chaos as the bombs were set off that July day during the morning rush hour, on three subway trains and a bus. Fifty-six people were killed in total, including the four Islamist suicide bombers, and more than 770 were wounded.
The bombings happened the day after the International Olympic Committee announced London would be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
The men responsible were ringleader Mohammed Sadique Khan, age 30; 22-year-old Shahzad Tanweer; Hasib Mir Hussain, age 18; and 19-year-old Germain Lindsay.
Ten years on, the devastation has not been forgotten, but what so many survivors and rescue workers also remember is the solidarity that followed.
Using the hashtag #walktogether, a British think tank — backed by faith leaders and survivors — called on commuters all over Britain to get off public transit a stop earlier than usual Tuesday morning and walk the last leg of their journey together in a show of unity.
It recalls how so many Londoners walked home from their workplaces on the day of the bombings after the public transit network was shut down.
