Short answers, pulled from the story.
The University of London was established by royal charter on the 28th of November 1836. Queen Victoria issued a second charter on the 5th of December 1837 after the original was annulled by the death of William IV. The university awarded its first degrees in 1839.
The University of London has around 48,000 distance learning external students and around 205,400 campus-based internal students, making it the largest university by student numbers in the United Kingdom. Additionally, more than 50,000 students are part of University of London Worldwide.
The University of London became the first university in the United Kingdom to admit women to degrees in 1878, via a supplemental charter. Four female students obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1880, and two obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in 1881, both national firsts.
University of London alumni include Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mick Jagger, Elton John, and Christopher Nolan. As of 2015, alumni include at least 14 monarchs or royalty, more than 60 presidents or prime ministers, and 98 Nobel laureates. Scientists connected to the university include Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Alexander Fleming, and Alexander Graham Bell.
Imperial College formally decided to leave the University of London on the 9th of December 2005, primarily to award its own degrees and to mark the college's centenary celebrations. The University of London accepted the request on the 5th of October 2006, and Imperial became fully independent on the 9th of July 2007.
The University of London Act 2018 received royal assent on the 20th of December 2018. It allows member institutions to seek university status without leaving the federal university, and changed their legal designation from colleges to member institutions. Twelve of the colleges subsequently applied for university status, with notice published in the London Gazette on the 4th of February 2019.