Question 1

True or false: Big Ben can be seen from space with the naked eye because of its immense height and golden glow.

Accepted Answer

False. At 96 meters tall, Big Ben is far too small to be visible from space without aid. Many landmarks like the Great Wall are also not visible unaided.

Question 2

True or false: Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell inside the Elizabeth Tower, not the tower itself.

Accepted Answer

True. Most people call the tower Big Ben, but the name actually refers to the 13.5-ton bell. The tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012.

Question 3

True or false: The clock faces on Big Ben are each 23 feet in diameter, larger than any other turret clock in the world.

Accepted Answer

False. The faces are 23 ft wide, but larger examples exist: the Abraj Al-Bait faces in Mecca are ~43 m (141 ft), and the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee had 40 ft faces.

Question 4

True or false: Big Ben is the official name of the entire clock tower, as declared by the British Parliament in 2012.

Accepted Answer

False. Parliament renamed the tower Elizabeth Tower in 2012; Big Ben is only the bell. The tower’s original name was simply the Clock Tower.

Question 5

True or false: The official name of the tower housing Big Ben has always been St. Stephen’s Tower since its construction in 1859.

Accepted Answer

False. The tower was originally called the Clock Tower. St. Stephen’s Tower is actually a different, smaller tower in the Palace of Westminster.

Question 6

True or false: During World War II, Big Ben’s clock was deliberately stopped to prevent enemy bombers from using its chimes as a navigational aid.

Accepted Answer

False. The clock continued to run; only the chimes were silenced at night to avoid aiding enemy aircraft. The chimes were later broadcast on BBC radio to boost morale.

Question 7

True or false: The pendulum inside Big Ben’s clock is regulated by stacks of old penny coins placed on its weight.

Accepted Answer

True. The pendulum of Big Ben's clock is regulated by adding or removing old penny coins on top of the pendulum bob (the weight), which adjusts its center of mass and thus its period for precise timekeeping.

Question 8

True or false: Big Ben first rang on May 31, 1859, but cracked a few months later and went silent.

Accepted Answer

True. The bell cracked in September 1859 due to a hammer that was too heavy. It was repaired and has a distinctive tone ever since.

Big Ben Trivia Questions