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Historical Facts About Big Ben

The first ever clock tower established at the Palace of Westminster was in 1288. Unfortunately, it was destroyed along with the old Palace of Westminster by the devastating fire that broke out on the fateful night of 16 October 1834. Then the chief architect of the palace Charles Barry was assigned with the contract of designing the palace and he included a clock tower in his designs. Thus, the credit for designing the Big Ben goes to Charles Barry while the cast iron dials of the clock were designed by Augustus Pugin.

The building of the tower was completed in 1856. The lower part of the tower is made of brick and stones and the upper part is made from cast iron. The spire of the tower consists of an iron frame that provides support to the heavy bells. The hour bell of the clock is named Big Ben but its remaining four quarter bells are nameless. It is said that Big Ben got its name after Sir Benjamin Hall who was the Commissioners of Works and was famous for his bulky body.

Big Ben Facts for Kids

The Big Ben is the largest chiming bell of the world. The height of the clock tower, where Big Ben is located is 316 feet and it took 13 long years to build it. The tower is slightly leaned (8.66 inches) towards northwest direction. Its inner volume is 4,650 cubic meters.

The diameter of Big Ben is 8 feet and it weighs 13.5 tons which is almost the same as that of a small elephant! The giant structure of Big Ben was built at Whitechapel Bell Foundry, in East London by George Mears. It was cast on 10th April 1858. It took almost two weeks to cool down. Then it was transported to the Westminster Palace by a horse-drawn carriage.

The four faces of the clock are at a height of 55 meters above the ground and the diameter of each of the dials is 23 feet. There is a Latin inscription with gold letters at the base of all the four clocks of the tower: "DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM". This means, "O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First".

The Big Ben chimed for the first time on 11th July 1859. The chimes of Big Ben was first broadcast by BBC radio on the New Year's Eve of 1923. Over the years, the sound of Big Ben became well-known to the BBC World Service listeners all across the world. Till date, it continues to be the focus of the New Year celebrations in the UK.

After reading all these exciting Big Ben facts that we have shared in this article, you know that it is one destination you do not want to miss while sightseeing in London. In fact, it is one of the most famous tourist attractions of the world. However, you can see the tower ONLY from outside. General public is prohibited from getting inside the tower due to security reasons. The view of the Big Ben is at its best during the nighttime when the faces of the clock are illuminated.

Real Madrid: 110 years of history

The club has won nine European Cup titles, three Intercontinental Cups, two UEFA Cups, one European Super Cup, 31 Spanish league titles, 18 Copa del Rey trophies, eight Spanish Super Cups and one Spanish League Cup

 Real Madrid celebrate its 110th anniversary currently topping the league table and playing the Champions League Last 16. The club has become a leading sports entity since its foundation in 1902 and was awarded  FIFA's Best Club of the 20th Century. The academy, basketball section and Foundation are sections  besides the first football team that make the club proud.

 Innovation, quality, sportsmanship, success... These are just a few of the words one can use to describe the  history of Real Madrid since the club's foundation on 6 March 1902. The first Board of Directors was officially named on that date when the club was known as Madrid Foot Ball Club, and Juan Padros was elected as its first official President. Nevertheless, Juan Palacios is regarded as the club's first president for heading the entity before it was 'legalised'. The team's official kit consisting of white shirts and trousers was specified in the articles of the foundation document.

 Real Madrid has played a vital role in the history of football. It was already a pioneer back in 1904 by participating in the foundation of FIFA, and many years later was one of the entities that created the European Cup, the most important competition at club level in the world. Real have won the title up to nine times, more than any other side in the continent. They are also the most honoured side in Spain with 31 league titles, and their incredible track record also includes three Intercontinental Cups, two UEFA Cups, one European Super Cup, 18 Copa del Rey trophies, eight Spanish Super Cups and one Spanish League Cup.

 The many titles it has won, the values it embodies and the overall impact it has had in the world of football earned the entity FIFA's Best Club of the 20th Century award in 2000. This club has thrilled and continues to inspire its fans thanks to the efforts of legends like Di Stefano, Puskas, Gento, Amancio, Juanito, Butragueño, Raul, Zidane, Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo.

 Academy

Real Madrid City at Valdebebas is one of the things Madridismo is most proud of. The club's older sports city at Paseo de la Castellana had been a state-of-the-art facility in the 1960s, and the new one at Valdebebas is a leading worldwide example of what a sports facility should be. Regarded as one of the best facilities in the planet since its opening in September 2005, Real Madrid City has been evolving throughout the years and is currently the home of the 13 teams of the academy from the Under-9s to Castilla. It is also the first team's main training facility.

Valdebebas also features the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium, named after the great Real Madrid legend. It is where Castilla play their home games. The academy has always been a key element of the club and it has spawned great players, such as the Quinta del Buitre (Butragueño's Five), Raul and Casillas. The academy features quality players into whom the club's sports and human values are instilled.

 Basketball

Throughout its history, Real Madrid has had sections devoted to other sports, such as athletics, swimming and weight lifting, but the one that has endured to this day is the basketball section. The club's basketball team is also the most honoured side in Europe with eight European Cups under its belt, as well as 30 Spanish league titles. The team also has 23 Copa del Rey trophies (the latest won less than a month ago against Barcelona), four European Cup Winners' Cup, one Korac Cup and one ULEB Cup, amongst other accolades.

Casillas and Iniesta Asking For Signatures And Photos

Real Madrid's goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Barcelona's midfielder Andres Iniesta one day decided to ask strangers for signatures and photos. It was very funny. Watch the video below!

Paper Plane Flying NEW World Record !!!

Former California Golden Bears quarterback Joe Ayoob didn't rewrite the record books with a football in his hand, but he managed to do just that with a paper airplane.

Ayoob, who was a community college transfer to Cal in 2005, recently sent a paper airplane flying 69.1 metres, beating the previous world record of 63 metres.