#History about big ben cracked#
#History about big ben tv#

The Clock Tower is the main focus of the countdown to a New Year throughout the UK, with TV pictures beaming live across the world. The clock’s pendulum is just less than four metres long and weighs over 300 kilograms. The world’s largest four-faced chiming clock, the Tower is 96 metres high and each clock face is seven metres in diameter. “ Big Ben” is the name of the main 13.5 tonne bell, whose tolling tune is instantly recognisable. Only during times of war, such as during World War I and World War II, have the chimes been silenced and the clock faces darkened to help prevent enemy attacks.Probably the most famous sight in London, the tower that adjoins the Houses of Parliament, whilst commonly referred to as “Big Ben”, is actually simply named the “Clock Tower”. The Clock Tower's clocks are known for their reliability. The chimes also mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month every year on England's Remembrance Day, which marks the day and time that World War I ended in 1918. Londoners look to Big Ben on New Year's Eve, as the familiar chimes mark the start of each new year. Each clock dial features the following Latin phrase - DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM - which means “O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First.' The dials are composed of 312 pieces of opal glass, similar to a stained-glass window. The clocks' dials are set in an iron frame 23 feet in diameter. It houses four clocks designed by Augustus Pugin. The Clock Tower's structure consists of brick, limestone and a framed spire of cast iron.

#History about big ben cracked#

The cracked bell has hung in the Clock Tower and chimed with a unique twang ever since.Ĭompleted on April 10, 1858, the Clock Tower stands 316 feet high (about 16 stories). The bell was then turned an eighth of a turn, so that it would no longer be struck where it was cracked. To repair the bell, a square piece of metal was chipped from the rim around the crack. Just two months later, though, it cracked. At over 7 feet tall and over 9 feet wide, the Great Bell weighs an astounding 13.5 tons! The Great Bell earns its Big Ben nickname. Since Sir Benjamin Hall's name is inscribed on the Great Bell, many people believe it's most likely that he was the source of the Great Bell's nickname. Others believe the Great Bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw the installation of the Great Bell.

Some people believe it was named after a boxer named Benjamin Caunt, who was the English Heavyweight Champion. How did the Great Bell get the nickname Big Ben? There's some debate about that. Many Londoners refer to the Clock Tower, the clocks and the Great Bell, collectively, as “Big Ben.' However, Big Ben is actually the nickname of only the Great Bell. The Clock Tower also houses bells that chime every quarter hour, with the largest bell - called the 'Great Bell' - chiming every hour on the hour. At one time, it was the largest four-faced clock in the world, an honor now claimed by the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One of the world's most famous tourist attractions, the Clock Tower features four huge clock faces. Featured in many movies and pictures, the Clock Tower has become a well-known symbol of England and London. What mental picture comes to mind when you think of London, England? If you're like many people, you probably think of the iconic Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster.