Big Ben
O It is believed that the bell was named big Ben (Big Ben) in honor of sir Benjamin Hall, the curator of the construction work. According to another version, he is named after Benjamin popular boxer in the heavy weight
O The tower was built by English architect Augustus Pugin in 1859, the tower clock started on 31 may 1859. O The height of the tower, including the spire - 96. 3 meters. The lower part of the clock mechanism is located at a height of 55 meters.
O The great clock of Westminster are the world's largest four-sided clock with chimes. Designed watch sir Edmund Beckett (English)English. and the astronomer Royal George airy. The finished work was entrusted to a watchmaker Edward John dent. , and after whose death in 1853, the construction was headed by his stepson Frederick dent. Frederick resigned in 1854.
O The total weight of the clockwork - 5 tons. O The dial diameter is 7 meters. O The length of the arrows - 2. 7 and 4. 2 m.
O July 27, 2012, from 8. 12 to 8. 15, the clock struck 30 times in honor of the opening of the XXX Olympic games. For the first time since 1952 chimes worked out schedule.
O Watches have become a symbol of the United Kingdom and London, especially in visual media. O The clock tower is the center of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom, with radio and television stations that transmit its chimes to welcome the new year.
