Short answers, pulled from the story.
Emperor Charlemagne ordered the construction of the fortress known as Hammaburg in the year 808. This structure was built on rocky terrain surrounded by marshes to defend against Slavic incursions at the confluence of the River Alster and the River Elbe.
A fire started on the night of the 4th of May 1842 and raged until the 8th of May, destroying a quarter of the inner city. The Great Fire of Hamburg consumed three churches and the town hall, killing 51 people and leaving an estimated 20,000 residents homeless.
Hamburg has around 2,500 bridges, making it the city with the highest number of bridges in Europe. This count is higher than London, Amsterdam, and Venice put together.
The Beatles lived and played in Hamburg from August 1960 to December 1962. One of the venues they performed at was the Star-Club on St. Pauli, and the Reeperbahn has been the location for many scenes including the 1994 Beatles film Backbeat.
Over 1.9 million people live in Hamburg today, and the metropolitan region has a population of over 5.1 million. The city has immigrants from 200 countries, including the largest Portuguese community in Germany and the largest Afghan community in Europe.
The North Sea flood of 1962 occurred on the 16th of February 1962, causing the Elbe to rise to an all-time high. This event inundated one-fifth of Hamburg and killed more than 300 people.