Big Ben was silent from 1859-1863 because of this.
- Mourning Prince Albert’s death
- Mourning the Crimean War
- It had cracked
- The clapper was stolen
Daily Quiz for March 3, 2016
Big Ben was silent from 1859-1863 because of this.
Big Ben was silent from 1859-1863 because of this.
It had cracked. Both the first and second Big Bens cracked. During its four silent years, one of the quarter hour bells was used to chime the hour. Big Ben rang again when Sir George Airy, the Astronomer Royal, had Big Ben turned a quarter so the hammer struck a new spot, a lighter hammer was installed, and a small square was cut into the bell to prevent the crack from spreading.