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Get the free app no ads · no paywallGeneral · 31 May 2026
Colin via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The clock at the Palace of Westminster began keeping time on May 31, 1859, marking a landmark achievement in Victorian engineering. The Great Bell, known as Big Ben, sounded its first official chimes weeks later on July 11. Renowned for its accuracy, the clock has become one of London’s most recognisable landmarks and remains a lasting symbol of the British capital.
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