Big Ben rings in its 150th year
Tomorrow marks 150 years since Big Ben first rang out across London.
The bell, which hangs in St Stephen’s Tower in the palace of Westminster, first struck the hour on July 11, 1859. It has continued to chime every 15 minutes since, with only occasional stoppages for repairs and bad weather.
To celebrate the anniversary the message “Happy Birthday Big Ben, 150 years, 1859 – 2009” will be projected onto the 96-metre tower, which is an icon on the London skyline.
The bell is thought to be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, whose name is inscribed on the bell.
Read entire article at Times Online (UK)
The bell, which hangs in St Stephen’s Tower in the palace of Westminster, first struck the hour on July 11, 1859. It has continued to chime every 15 minutes since, with only occasional stoppages for repairs and bad weather.
To celebrate the anniversary the message “Happy Birthday Big Ben, 150 years, 1859 – 2009” will be projected onto the 96-metre tower, which is an icon on the London skyline.
The bell is thought to be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, whose name is inscribed on the bell.