It reads, OMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, and translated that means, вЂO Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the FirstвЂ™. ThereвЂ™s a Latin saying beneath Big BenвЂ™s clock face. In fact, Big Ben was chiming as usual all through the bombing and the rebuilding of the Commons Chamber. Luckily, though, Big Ben and its clock tower were undamaged. In May 1941, the Commons Chamber at Westminster was destroyed by incendiary bombs. The Clock Tower Was Almost Destroyed During The BlitzДespite the clock being darkened, enemy planes found the Houses of Parliament.

This was a minute before the 9 oвЂ™clock news during which everyone listening to the radio was asked to quietly contemplate the sacrifices of soldiers on the battlefields of Europe.Дuring this minute, Big Ben stayed silent and contemplative itself, to encourage Londoners to do the same. In 1940, Big Ben Began Observing the Silent MinuteДЄs a way to help Britons contemplate the terror and sadness of war, the BBC introduced the silent minute in 1940. With the whole of London dark, the glowing face would have been an easy target. Of course our interesting facts about Big Ben had to include some wartime drama!Дuring WWII, the face of Big BenвЂ™s clock was dimmed in compliance with blackout rules. There were plenty more ups and downs at Westminster, including a fire, but ultimately Big BenвЂ™s clock face began ticking in 1859. The first that we have records of was built in the 1360s, and was the first public chiming clock in England. The first clock tower reported having been built where Westminster now stands was constructed in the 1290s. The tower we now know as the Elizabeth Tower was not the first clock on the site. That takes us right back to Queen Victoria, who was queen from 1837-1901.Д«ut Big Ben facts and history go back even further than that. How old is Big Ben? Well, old enough to have been standing through the reigns of six monarchs. Each penny causes Big Ben to gain 0.4 seconds. On top of that, the pendulum is adjusted by adding old pennies (from before decimalisation). Winding takes over an hour, and someone has to wind the clock three times a week. Of course, in order to keep Big BenвЂ™s chimes sounding at just the right moment the clock has to be adjusted and wound. In fact, the clock is accurate to within two seconds every two weeks. ThatвЂ™s a lot of ceremony for a bell! Big Ben is Really, Really Accurate Then, it was taken across Westminster Bridge in a carriage drawn by sixteen white horses. In fact, the bell was seen as so important that when it arrived in London it was brought down the Thames in a barge as Londoners flocked to watch. ItвЂ™s not about to topple over, but if you look carefully when youвЂ™re standing close to Big Ben you should be able to see it tilt to one side. He was also nicknamed Big Ben.ДonвЂ™t worry, the tower leans at an inclination of just 1/250 or 0.4 degrees. The second suggests that the clock was named after a heavyweight boxer, champion at the time the tower and clock were built, Benjamin Caunt. He was a large man, and known around the house as Big Ben. The first theory is that the bell (and now the whole clock, usually) was nicknamed вЂBig BenвЂ™ after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first Director of Works.

However, you might get one of two answers. One of the first questions many people ask about LondonвЂ™s famous clock is, вЂhow did Big Ben get its name?вЂ™ WeвЂ™re not Sure how Big Ben got its Nickname Big BenвЂ™s clock faces are called The Big Clock, which is just as thoughtful. What was the tower called before the new name? It was very imaginatively named Clock Tower. It was only in 2012 that the tower was given its current name, as an honour to Queen Elizabeth on her jubilee. Why Big Ben? Well, itвЂ™s really big! In fact, the bell of Big Ben weighs over 13 tonnes. The tower itself is Elizabeth Tower, and itвЂ™s the huge bell inside thatвЂ™s called Big Ben. Interesting Facts About Big Ben ItвЂ™s Actually Called Elizabeth Tower Read on for 20 fun facts about Big Ben, including a few juicy snippets on the landmarkвЂ™s ongoing renovation. Well, how about Big BenвЂ™s history, and how Big Ben got its name? And thatвЂ™s just for starters. If youвЂ™re any kind of Anglophile, or a Londoner yourself, youвЂ™ll know what the Houses of ParliamentвЂ™s clock tower looks like, and you will probably have heard it chime too.

Big clock london