UK Landmarks Go Dark in Memory of WWI

LONDON: Some of Britain's iconic landmarks like the Parliament, the Tower Bridge, Cardiff Castle and others went dark at 10pm on Monday to commemorate the moment UK entered the First World War. August 4 marked the beginning of the war for the UK 100 years ago.

Britain had said on Friday that both houses are supporting Lights Out, the headline project taking place across the UK to mark the centenary where non-essential internal and external lights across the parliamentary estate was to be switched off for 60 minutes on Monday.

Lights Out invited everyone in the UK to turn off their lights for one hour at 10 pm leaving on just a single light or candle to mark the hour that Britain entered the war 100 years ago.

The event takes inspiration from the famous words of Sir Edward Grey who was the foreign secretary at the time. On the eve of Britain officially entering the war he had said, "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."

More than 650 events happened across the UK including vigils and walks.

Prime Minister David Cameron said, "It is right to remember the extraordinary sacrifice of a generation and we are all indebted to them because their most enduring legacy is our liberty."

Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium on August 3, 1914. More than 9 million soldiers were killed in the ensuring conflict including around 800,000 British soldiers and more than 120,000 civilians who died as a result of military action, malnutrition and disease.