14 Fun Facts About Big Ben And The Clock Tower

Book excerpt: It is used to show location in hundreds of movies and television shows. Showing an image of this one building immediately lets people know that something is happening in London, England. It is the clock tower, often called Big Ben by the people of the world. Completed in 1859, the clock tower took 34 years to build from the ashes of the fire that destroyed Parliament in 1834. The clock tower and the dials of the clock were designed by Augustus Pugin. It was his last work before going mad and then dying. The actual mechanism for the clock was designed by Edmund Becket Dennison. Strangely, he was not a clockmaker, but a lawyer. Let's learn more about this tower and the things it holds. Do you know: How large are the hands on the clocks? How big is Big Ben? What happened to the clock tower during World War II? How is the clock time adjusted? What happened to the first Big Ben? Find out the answers to these questions and more and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts. Ages 8 and up. All measurements in American and metric. Reading Level: 6.5 LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.