First public aquarium

On 18 February 1852, the Council of the Zoological Society of London (UK) commissioned the building of an Aquatic Vivarium (the original term for a fish tank or enclosure) at London Zoo, UK. The exhibit opened in May 1853 and became known as the “Fish House”. It was here that the term “aquarium” was coined in 1854 by English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse with the publication of his book The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea; the term was not initially popular with classical scholars as it means a watering place for cattle!

Earlier individuals had conceived of the idea of housing exotic fish species in private homes, but the ZSL were the first to open a large-scale public fish exhibition. Technically, too, the term "aquarium" was coined for the ZSL exhibition, so it is by this definition the "first aquarium".

The current aquarium at London Zoo was built in 1921–24 and opened in April 1924.