‘Big Ben’ is the name commonly used to describe the tower, the clock, and the bell of this London landmark. But technically, Big Ben refers only to the tower’s Great Bell, which Londoners first heard chime on this day in 1859. Ordinarily, four quarter bells chime at 15, 30, and 45 minutes past the hour and again just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. However, Big Ben is silent for today’s anniversary. It stopped tolling in 2017 to undergo significant renovations that are expected to last through 2021. Eager tourists can still visit the tower, which was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.
All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Mitsumata blossoms
-
Let the holiday shopping commence
-
A river runs through it
-
Looking back on 150 years of rail travel
-
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
-
Dolomites
-
Stop and see the flowers
-
The Vestibule at Diocletian s Palace, Split, Croatia
-
World Numbat Day
-
Morocco in bloom
-
Hiding in plain sight
-
Yosemite National Park turns 132
-
Don’t get lost in there
-
The moai you know
-
Glendurgan Garden hedge maze is 186 years old
-
In the Supertree Grove
-
Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
-
Nature Photography Day
-
20 years later
-
National Park Week begins