The Big Ben History!

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Big Ben History
Big Ben is the nickname of the bell inside the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, named after Queen Elizabeth II, and is one of the most iconic landmarks of London.
The history of Big Ben dates back to the 19th century when the British Parliament decided to build a new palace after the old one was destroyed by fire in 1834.
In 1836, the architect Charles Barry was chosen to design the new palace, and he included a clock tower in his plans.
The tower was to be 96 meters tall and was to house the largest bell in the world.
The bell was to be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, a politician who was responsible for overseeing the construction of the tower.
However, the bell became known as Big Ben, and the name stuck.
The construction of the tower began in 1843, and it took 13 years to complete.
The bell was cast in 1858 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and it weighed 13.5 tons.
It was transported to the tower by a specially built trolley and was installed in 1859.
However, the bell cracked during testing, and a smaller replacement bell was cast and installed.
The clock mechanism was designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, and it was installed in 1854.
The clock had four faces, each measuring 7 meters in diameter. The clock was powered by weights and was accurate to within a few seconds per day.
The tower and the clock became a symbol of British engineering and were admired by people all over the world.
During World War II, the clock tower was hit by German bombs, but it survived the attack. However, the clock faces were damaged, and they had to be repaired.
In 2012, the tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
The tower underwent a major restoration project from 2017 to 2021, during which the clock was stopped for several months, and the tower was covered in scaffolding.
Today, Big Ben is one of the most famous landmarks of London and is a symbol of British culture and heritage.
The clock tower is visited by millions of tourists each year, and its chimes are heard all over the world.