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 12,000 kilograms 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 to 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 more than 6 metres, with the minute hands measuring roughly 4 metres. At 90 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

An island crossroad of culture
Get ready for the blood moon
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
May 15, 2026Endangered Species Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Festive foliage in the garden
Apr. 4, 2025Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan
Jun 24, 2026Pollinator Week
Sep 27, 2026Decorator crab on a sea pen, Komodo National Park, Indonesia
This lesson is going swimmingly
Feb. 6, 2025Waitangi Day in New Zealand
Jan. 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Do pandas enjoy winter?
Jan. 25, 2024Snowy owl
Apr. 1, 2024April Fools Day
Mar. 21, 2024International Day of Forests
May the 4th be with you
International Archaeology Day
Jun. 23, 2024Dhaka, Bangladesh
Oct. 26, 2024Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Germany
Oct. 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Apr. 27, 2026The glass dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy
Dec. 10, 2025Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain
Oct. 29, 2025Ancient til trees in Fanal Forest, Madeira, Portugal
Dec. 9, 2025National Llama Day
Apr. 27, 2024Leucistic Annas Hummingbird, California, USA
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’
Dec. 23, 2023Festivus
Sep 26, 2026Horseshoe Falls illuminated at night in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Dec. 11, 2025International Mountain Day
The sea pool of Penzance
A vibrant, sun-drenched island
Nov. 20, 2025World Childrens Day
The origin of Canadas national parks
Aug. 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy