Echoes of History Beautiful Sites Where the World Was Forever Changed

25. The Old Bailey Courtroom, London – The Trial That Legalized Gay Rights

In the mid-20th century, being openly gay in Britain was a crime punishable by imprisonment. That changed largely due to a landmark case tried at The Old Bailey, London’s historic criminal court. In 1954, mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing, who helped defeat the Nazis by cracking the Enigma code, was convicted of "gross indecency" for being gay. Forced to undergo chemical castration, Turing took his own life in 1954. His unjust persecution sparked debates that led to the decriminalization of homosexuality in Britain in 1967. Today, The Old Bailey is not just a symbol of justice, but also a reminder of the long struggle for LGBTQ+ rights.