Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) Age: Completed 1859 — 165 Years Old

Big Ben—technically the Great Bell inside the Elizabeth Tower (renamed 2012 for Diamond Jubilee)—was completed in 1859.

Timeline

• 1843: Palace of Westminster fire destroys old palace.
• 1844: Competition for new palace + clock tower (Barry & Pugin design).
• 1852: Tower construction begins.
• 1856: First bell cast (cracked during testing).
• 1858: Second bell cast (Whitechapel Foundry) — "Big Ben."
• May 31, 1859: Clock starts ticking.
• July 11, 1859: Big Ben first strikes (cracks 2 months later; rotated, lighter hammer—distinctive tone).

Key Specs

• Tower height: 96 m (315 ft)
• Bell weight: 13.7 tonnes (13.5 tons)
• Clock faces: 4 × 7 m (23 ft) diameter
• Mechanism: Gravity-driven, wound 3×/week; ±2 sec/week accuracy

Recent Restoration

2017–2022: £80M conservation—clock dismantled, glass replaced, ironwork repaired, bell cleaned, Abraham Lincoln's clockmaker's chair restored. Silenced most of period; resumed full time Nov 2022.

Age as of 2024: 165 years. Still the world's largest four-faced chiming clock.