Description of Big Ben. Description of Big Ben Big ben description in English

“Through this hour, the Lord protects me, and His strength will not allow anyone to stumble.” Such words are called every hour by the famous London Big Ben with the help of several small bells, and its battle is broadcast by the famous BBC radio station to almost the whole world.

And for the first time the ringing of the legendary bell was broadcast on the radio in 1923 on December 31st. The very same history of the creation of Big Ben, this unique symbol of Great Britain, is very curious and begins back in 1844. The architect Charles Bury, who was involved in the construction of the Palace of Westminster, proposed building a very unusual clock on the nearby St. Stephen's Tower. One that would be the largest and most accurate of all those available at that time in the world, the ringing of which would be heard even in the most remote corners of London.

Parliament supported the idea, and the famous mechanic Benjamin Valliami initially took up the development of the project. Astronomer George Airy also became interested in the project. However, very soon serious disagreements arose between the mechanic and the astronomer. Airy believed that 1 second is the precision with which future clocks should strike their first strike every hour. And for control, he proposed to connect the designed clock using a telegraph with the observatory in Greenwich. According to Valyami, there was no need for such an accurate watch, and this idea was technically unfeasible. The debate dragged on for five long years. In the end, Valyami was defeated and his project was rejected.

The new project was developed by mechanic Dentom. The required accuracy was achieved, but the watch weighed as much as five tons. And the dimensions turned out to be impressive: the height of the clock bell exceeded 2 meters, the diameter was more than 3 meters, the length of the pendulum was 4 meters. The material for the four watch dials facing different directions of the world was Birmingham opal, the hour hands were made of cast iron, and the minute hands were made of copper. After the watch was installed, it was decided to replace the cast iron hour hands with hands made of a lighter alloy.

On May 31, 1859, the grand opening of the new clock took place. They were originally lit by gas jets, but in 1912 the lighting became electric. The accuracy of the clock for that time was simply amazing - the error was only 1.5 - 2 s per day. It is surprising that one of the simple watch keepers managed to solve the error problem. It turned out that by placing an old one-penny coin on the pendulum or removing it from it, you can easily adjust the accuracy of the entire mechanism. This unusual method is still used today.

It is not known for certain in whose honor the clock was named Big Ben. There are two versions. One - the watch is named after the boxer Benjamin Count, the other - after Benjamin Hall, who was the chairman of the parliamentary commission that adopted the watch. Both of these men were of very impressive size, and the nickname Big Ben suits both equally.

And for almost a century and a half Beg-Ben has been tirelessly beating the passage of time for the whole world. And every two days, a caretaker climbs 334 steps up the 96-meter-high tower, where the clock is located and where access to outsiders is prohibited, to take care of the complex mechanism of the clock, known to almost every inhabitant of our planet. It is no coincidence that the international time standard chose London Big Ben in order to herald the beginning of a new millennium on the night of December 31, 2000 to January 1, 2001.

Big Ben is one of the most beloved tourist attractions in the UK. It is located in central London, where most of the historical and architectural monuments are located. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Big Ben is a giant clock. In fact, this is not a clock, but the name of the large bell in the clock. One of the world's tallest free-standing structures, the Clock Tower, formerly St Stephen's Tower, sits gracefully at the northern end of the Palace of Westminster. As for the clock itself, it is the world's largest four-sided chiming clock. Big Ben often appears in films as an internationally recognized symbol of England.

The origin of this name is unknown. Many believe that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall. Today, Big Ben, as a generally accepted collective name, refers not only to the clock, but also to the tower and the bell. Big Ben is famous for its reliability; he almost never stopped. Even during the bombings of World War II, when some parts of the building were destroyed, the tower was preserved and Big Ben continued to work. However, during times of war and sad events, the clock often became silent and dark at night.

The history of Big Ben dates back to 1834, when the Palace of Westminster burned. After this, almost nothing remained of him, and parliament was forced to cancel its meetings. Soon a committee was created that organized a competition for designers. From 400 designs submitted by more than 90 architects, Charles Barry's design was selected. The tower did not originally include a clock. The clock was invented by Barry's assistant, Augustus Pugin. In order for them to strike the hour, a massive bell was required and four bells were required to indicate the quarter hour. The bell first rang throughout Westminster on May 31, 1859.

Since 2012, the neo-Gothic tower of Big Ben has been renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth. Now this is the Elizabeth Tower. The clock itself has become a popular symbol, especially in audio and video sources. New Year's celebrations are also centered around Big Ben. Its chimes are used by television and radio stations. In 2012, the clock chimed 30 times to welcome the Summer Olympics. Today, along with red double-decker buses and red telephone booths, tourists buy a mini Big Ben as a souvenir when they visit England.

There were several cases where the clock stopped or did not work at all. For example, in 1949 they slowed down by four minutes due to starlings sitting on the minute hand. In 1962, New Year's Day arrived 10 minutes late due to heavy snowfall, which affected the long hands. A serious breakdown occurred in 1976 due to wear and tear of the chime mechanism. It took several months to resume work.

Big Ben is one of London's best-known landmarks, and looks most spectacular at night when the clock faces are illuminated. You even know when parliament is in session, because a light shines above the clock face.
The four dials of the clock are 23 feet square, the minute hand is 14 feet long and the figures are 2 feet high. Minutely regulated with a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum, Big Ben is an excellent timekeeper, which has rarely stopped.
The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock-tower itself, but to the thirteen ton bell hung within. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall.
This bell came originally from the old Palace of Westminster, it was given to the Dean of St. Paul"s by William III. Before returning to Westminster to hang in its present home, it was refashioned in Whitechapel in 1858. The BBC first broadcast the chimes on the 31st December 1923 - there is a microphone in the turret connected to Broadcasting House.
During the second world war in 1941, an incendiary bomb destroyed the Commons chamber of the Houses of Parliament, but the clock tower remained intact and Big Ben continued to keep time and strike away the hours, its unique sound was broadcast to the nation and around the world, a welcome reassurance of hope to all who heard it.
The tower is not open to the general public, but those with a "special interest" may arrange a visit to the top of the Clock Tower.

Big Ben is one of London's most famous landmarks and is most impressive at night when the clock hands are illuminated. You'll even know when parliament is in session because the light shines over the dial.
It has 4 clock faces that cover an area of ​​23 square feet, the minute hand is 14 feet long and the numerals are 2 feet high. With a huge pendulum that adjusts minutely, Big Ben is an excellent timekeeper that rarely stops.
The name Big Ben does not actually refer to the tower clock, but to the 13-ton bell hanging inside. The bell was named after the first Commissioner of Works, Sir Benjamin Hall.
This bell came from the old Palace of Westminster, and was presented to the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral by William III. Before returning to Westminster, its current home, it was converted to Whitechapel in 1858. The BBC first broadcast the chimes on December 31, 1923, via a microphone connected to the tower from Broadcasting House.
During the Second World War, incendiary bombs destroyed the Houses of Parliament in 1941, but the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to work and keep time, its unique sound broadcast to the people and the world, welcoming the return of hope to all who heard it.
The tower is not open to the general public, but those with a "special interest" can arrange a visit to the top of the tower.

In English.

Big Ben .

Perhaps even small children know what a Big Ben is. Firstly, it’s the symbol of Great Britain and one of the most beautiful sights of London. Secondly, it’s the largest and the most famous clock in the world.

Originally, Big Ben is a tower. It’s one of the highest towers of Westminster Palace.The height of the tower, including the spire — 96.3 meters. Before the tower housed a prison. Only her prisoner in the history of suffragette Emmeline was Pankhurst.Officially, the clock has started its work on May 31, 1859. According to one of the theories the clock has been named Big Ben after Sir Benjamin Hall, who directed on the casting of the bell. Another theory claims that it has been named after Benjamin Caunt, who was one of the well-known heavyweight boxers of the 19th century. Big Ben has become a popular souvenir for tourists. Almost all visitors of London buy a small souvenir in the shape of the world-famous clock. Also Big Ben can be often seen in famous films and ads. Official name of the tower is the “Westminster Palace Clock Tower” or “St. Stephen's Tower". Big Ben is only the name of the clock itself along with the bell. The history of Big Ben dates back to 1288, when it was built for the first time on Ralph De Hengham’s money. He was the chairman of the Supreme Court of Queen's Bench. However, the contemporary tower of Big Ben was built according to Charles Barry's project in the 19th century, as the old building was destroyed due to the fire of 1834. Although Big Ben is very popular with spectators, no one is allowed inside of the tower . All the Londoners who live close to Big Ben can hear how the bell strikes thirteen at New Year’s Night.

Translating to Russian language.

Big Ben.

Perhaps even small children know what Big Ben is. Firstly, it is a symbol of Great Britain and one of the most beautiful sights in London. Secondly, this is the largest and most famous watch in the world. Initially, Big Ben is a tower. This is one of the tallest towers of the Palace of Westminster. The height of the tower, including the spire, is 96.3 meters. Previously, the tower housed a prison. Its only prisoner in history was the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. The clock officially began operating on May 31, 1859. According to one theory, the clock was named Big Ben in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the casting of the bell. Another theory states that he was named after Benjamin Count, who was one of the famous heavyweight boxers of the 19th century. Big Ben has become a popular souvenir for tourists. Almost all visitors to London want to buy a small souvenir in the form of a world famous watch. In addition, Big Ben can often be seen in famous films and advertisements. The official name of the tower is the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster or St. Stephen's Tower. Big Ben is only the name of the clock itself along with the bell. The history of Big Ben dates back to 1288, when it was first built with the money of Ralph de Hengham. He was Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench. However, the modern Big Ben tower was built to a design by Charles Barry in the 19th century, as the old building was destroyed by fire in 1834. Despite the fact that Big Ben is very popular among spectators, no one is allowed to go inside the tower. All Londoners who live near Big Ben can hear the bell ringing thirteen times on New Year's night.

Topic: Big Ben - the World Known London Landmark

Topic: Big Ben - the world famous landmark of London

What can be compared to an amazing famous masterpiece of true British architecture, the symbol of one of the most famous cities in our world, and, without any denial, the real emblem of the British way of life - Big Ben? This impressive clock tower has been counting the time of the Kingdom

What can compare to an amazing, famous masterpiece of true British architecture, a symbol of one of the most famous cities in the world and, without a doubt, a true icon of the British way of life - Big Ben? The imposing clock tower keeps track of the kingdom's time for more than one hundred and fifty years.

It should be mentioned that the modern official name of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is Elizabeth Tower and as it could be seen from the name the tower eternizes one of the greatest British monarchs - Elizabeth II to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee as the Queen of the UK. Prior to this name that the tower got in 2012 the famous landmark was called just the Clock Tower.

It is worth saying that the modern official name of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is the Elizabeth Tower, and as one can understand from this name, the tower immortalizes one of Britain's greatest monarchs - Elizabeth II, in honor of her Diamond Jubilee as Queen of the United Kingdom. Before this name, received in 2012, the famous symbol of the city was simply called the Clock Tower.

The story of Big Ben as we all know it started in 1859 when the Londoners first heard the sound of the great bell of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. In fact, Big Ben is the name of the huge hour bell inside the 96 meter tall tower which was raised according to the design of Augustus Pugin and became the high point of his architectural genius. But the landmark did not get the name of its architect. There are two main theories according to the name Big Ben - it could be the nickname of Sir Benjamin Hall, the commissioner of works on the Houses of Parliament, or Benjamin Caunt, the boxing champion of that time; both of them were large men and could have a nickname Big Ben. Nevertheless, this short name appeared to be perfect for the famous landmark.

The story of Big Ben as we all know it began in 1859, when Londoners first heard the sound of the great bell of the Houses of Parliament clock tower. In fact, Big Ben is the name of the huge clock bell inside the 96-meter tower, which was built according to the designs of Auguste Pugin and was the culmination of his architectural genius. But the landmark was not named after its architect. There are two main theories regarding the name Big Ben - it could have been the nickname of either Sir Benjamin Hall, the superintendent of works on the construction of the Government Buildings, or Benjamin Saunt, the great boxer of the time; both gentlemen were quite large in build and may have been nicknamed Big Ben. However, this short name was ideal for the famous landmark.

At the time of its appearance on the map of the city, the tower was a real wonder of its time with its massive14 ton bell inside, and the clock itself was the largest in the world. The impressive neo-gothic tower has four seven-meter clock dials on each side. Despite its impressive size, Big Ben is a perfect accurate timekeeper - a stack of coins on the big pendulum regulates the clock.

By the time it appeared on the city map, the tower with a massive 14-ton bell was a real miracle of its time, and its clock was the largest in the world. The impressive tower in neo-Gothic style has a clock face on each side with a diameter of 7 meters. Despite its impressive size, Big Ben is distinguished by exceptional accuracy in counting time - a stack of coins on a large pendulum regulates the clock.