15 Crazy facts about a 161 year-old tower in London
Big Ben is the
great bell in the Clock Tower on the eastern end of the Houses of Parliament.
It was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, London’s chief commissioner of works in
1858 when the bell was hung. The clocks in the 98-m (320-ft) Clock Tower have
been keeping time since 1859.
§ London's
"Big Ben" is not the tower. It's the bell inside it.
§ The
tower where Big Ben is located is officially known as "Elizabeth Tower."
It was completed in 1859.
§ The
15-minute chimes on Big Ben have lyrics: "All through this hour / Lord be
my guide / And by Thy power / No foot shall slide."
§ In
August, 2015, Big Ben's Clock was discovered to be running 6 seconds fast, and
coins were removed from its pendulum to correct the error.
§ The
Liberty Bell and Big Ben were cast by the same bell foundry and both bells are
cracked.
§ During
WW2, the lights of Big Ben were dimmed so that German bombers could not use it
for reference.
§ Turning
back the giant hands on Big Ben's four clock faces takes an incredible 5 hours
in total.
§ British
Pennies are used to adjust the time in London's Big Ben clock tower.
§ Clocksmiths
climb the 334 stairs of the Elizabeth Tower 3 times a week to wind Big Ben's clock,
whose timing can be affected by the weather, atmospheric pressure or simply by
being 156 years old.
§ If
London's Big Ben was built today, it would cost about US$222,000.
§ For
2 years during WW1, the Big Ben's bells were silenced and the clock was not
illuminated at night to avoid guiding attacking German Zeppelins.
§ The
company which maintains Big Ben has staff on 24-hour call should something go
wrong.
§ In
1949, a flock of starlings perched on the minute hand of Big Ben, slowing it by
4.5 minutes.
§ London's
Big Ben clock tower is leaning much like the Tower of Pisa.
§ It
is believed that London's Big Ben was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, First
Commissioner for Works, whose name is inscribed on the bell. Others attest that
the bell was named after Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer.
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