In 1819, made and sold Britain's first bicycle in its hobby-horse form. As a coachmaker Johnson was able to make significant improvements to the two-wheel velocipede, as invented by von Drais. He obtained a patent for his "pedestrian curricle", manufactured them and opened a school teaching people how to ride them. They became a bit of a craze with even the Prince Regent riding them.
Died at home and was buried at St Martin's Chapel, Camden Town.
See also John Kemp Starley,
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Denis Johnson
City of Westminster Denis Johnson (c.1760 - 1833) from his workshop on this ...
Antiquarian booksellers at 84 Charing Cross Road, an address made famous through the book by Helene Hanff.
Businessman. Born Jacob Edward Kohen in Whitechapel. He worked as an apprentice tailor to his father, but after WW1 he became a market stall holder in Hackney. In 1924 he created the Tesco brand us...
The Ivy, opened by Abele Giandolini, as an unlicensed Italian cafe in 1917 in a building on the same site. Famous as a theatrical-celebrities haunt, possibly due to its late closing time of near-mi...
Formed as a trading company but went on to effectively rule India, on behalf of the British. Was involved in the slave trade.
Group, Commerce, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Indian Sub-continent
Athlete. Born Douglas Alastair Gordon Pirie at 123 Beckett Street, Leeds. BBC sports personality of the year in 1955, when he out-ran the triple gold medallist Emil Zatopek. He broke five world rec...
Retail group specialising in clothing and food, founded by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. There are currently over 700 branches in the U.K. and more than 300 spread over thirty other countries.
High on the front, at the left is the Sunday Schools plaque, and on the right the Memorial School plaque. The McArthur stone is low on th...
Plaque unveiled by Najib Balala, Kenya’s Minister of State for National Heritage, Uhuru Kenyatta, Leader of the Official Opposition and K...
This strangely monikered garden was named for Dr William Heath Strange who, in 1882, founded the Hampstead General Hospital that went on ...
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