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The town of Milton Keynes, which was established in 1967, was built around the historic village by the same name. The historic village is rich in history, dating back to the 12th century. It is situated in Buckinghamshire and is, in fact, the largest settlement in the county. It attained formal city statue in August of 2002 during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours competition.

While some people believe that Milton Keynes is a combination of the names of John Milton (a famous poet) and Maynard Keynes (a famous economist). After the 1066 Norman Conquest, the village was named Middelltone after the feudal masters of the village. At some point during the 13th century, the name became Middelton Caynes (or Kaynes), and by the 17th century, Middelton Gaynes. It was named Milton Keynes until after the new city was built around the old village and took its name. Eventually, the historic village renamed itself Middleton.

The New Towns Act 1946 and subsequent New Towns legislation were post-World War II governmental acts which sought to relocate people living in impoverished housing as well as those buildings which had been destroyed during the Blitz, as well as relieving the vast overcrowding in nearby cities. As a result of this approach to urban planning, the government of the United Kingdom was authorized to designate various areas new towns.

The new town of Milton Keynes was expected to hold a population of 250,000, making it the largest of all the new towns. The area which was to be developed was 8,850 hectares of farmland and small villages to be absorbed into the new town. Those towns which were absorbed included Wolverton, Stony Stratford, Fenny Stratford, and Bletchley. Additionally, fifteen villages, including the original village of Milton Keynes, were swallowed up in order to create the new town which is now called by that name.

Today, there are more than 287,000 people living in Milton Keynes and more than 10,000 businesses. There are more than a hundred languages spoken in the schools which serve the city.

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