Palace of Westminster, London, England May 15, 2025

London"s most famous clock tower isn"t called Big Ben—that name belongs to the massive 13.5-ton bell inside. It has marked time for Londoners since 1859, ringing from what is now known as the Elizabeth Tower. In 2012, officials renamed the Clock Tower as Elizabeth Tower to honour Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee. The clock has stopped only for maintenance and rare disruptions, such as bomb damage during World Wars I and II. Each of its four clock faces spans nearly 7 metres, with the minute hands measuring approximately 4 metres. At 96 metres tall, the tower is part of the grand Palace of Westminster, home to the UK Parliament.

© Puthipong Worasaran/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
May 15, 2026A family of sperm whales, Indian Ocean

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Oct 3, 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
May 23, 2025Yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, Ecuador
Nov 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
Oct 24, 2024Bodie State Historic Park, California, United States
Jun 14, 2025Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Feb 19, 2025European river otter
Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
Nov 11, 2025Externsteine, Teutoburg Forest, Germany
Feb 10, 2026Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain
Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Dec 21, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Oct 1, 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
June 10, 2026Hnausapollur crater lake, Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman
Jun 5, 2025Fumacinha Waterfall, Chapada Diamantina, Brazil
Aug 3, 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and anemone wildflowers, Jutland, Denmark
May 14, 2025Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy
Jul 20, 2024The Moon
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Mar 22, 2024Blue Spring, Te Waihou Walkway, New Zealand
Mar 11, 2024Koala sleeping in a eucalyptus tree
Dec 9, 2023Guanacos, Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
Oct 14, 2025Village of Oia, Santorini, Greece
Jul 20, 2025Photo of the moons surface through a telescope