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The History and Significance of Big Ben: An Icon of London

Big Ben, officially known as the Great Bell, was completed in 1859 and is part of the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster. After a devastating fire in 1834, plans for a new tower and clock were proposed. The clock tower has become a symbol of London, with its chimes first broadcast by the BBC in 1923. The name "Big Ben" possibly originates from Sir Benjamin Hall or heavyweight boxer Ben Caunt. The tower is renowned for its impressive clock face and has endured through history, even surviving WWII damages.

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The History and Significance of Big Ben: An Icon of London

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  1. WhenwasBig Ben built?

  2. Big ben, The Big ben wasbuild in 1859, The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834. In 1844, it was decided the new buildings for the Houses of Parliament should include a tower and a clock. It’sfirstnamewas The Great Bell, It wasfirststarted on 31 May,with the Great Bell's strikes heard for the first time on 11 July.

  3. Officially, the Elizabeth Tower's bell is called the Great Bell though it is better known by the name 'Big Ben'. There are two theories for this name's origin. These are that the Great Bell was:named after Sir Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner for Works 1855-1858named after Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer of the 1850sThe first theory is thought to be the most likely.The name 'Big Ben' is often associated with the Elizabeth Tower and the Great Clock as well as the Great Bell. It was to the Great Bell that the name originally was given.

  4. LocationOf Big Ben. Big ben is at the north end ofpalaceofwestminster in london ,

  5. Factsabout Big Ben Each dial is seven metres in diameter ,The minute hands are 4.2 metres long and weigh about 100kg (including counterweights) The numbers are approximately 60cm long,There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial ,Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day.The latin words under the clockface read DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the FirstIn June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. 

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