Heathrow Airport started in 1929 as a small airfield on land southeast of the hamlet of Heathrow (which is roughly where Terminal 3 is today). It was then selected for development as an aerodrome in 1944 for long-distance military aircraft bound for the far east. But by the time the aerodrome was nearing completion, World War 2 had ended. The government decided to once again develop the site, but this time as a civil airport, known as London Airport and later Heathrow.