Palace of Westminster, London, England May 15, 2025

Palace of Westminster, London, England

London"s most famous clock tower isn"t called Big Ben—that name belongs to the massive over 12,000 kilograms bell inside. It has marked time for Londoners since 1859, ringing from what is now known as the Elizabeth Tower. In 2012, officials renamed the Clock Tower as Elizabeth Tower to honour Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee. The clock has stopped only for maintenance and rare disruptions, such as bomb damage during World Wars I and II. Each of its four clock faces spans more than 6 metres, with the minute hands measuring over 4 metres. At more than 90 metre tall, the tower is part of the grand Palace of Westminster, home to the UK Parliament.

© Puthipong Worasaran/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

An island crossroad of culture
Get ready for the blood moon
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

More Desktop Wallpapers:

What are these unique creatures?
Oct 21, 2023Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur
Mar 16, 2025Baby giant panda, China
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława river, Poland
May 25, 2025Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
An experiment in sustainability
Jul 13, 2025International Rock Day
Nov 10, 2025Black-tailed prairie dogs in Badlands National Park, United States
This lesson is going swimmingly
Oct 16, 2025Eurasian lynx
May 4, 2024Star Wars Day
Chilling out on an ice floe
A sky full of stars
May 11, 2025Happy Mothers Day!
Feb 1, 2025European beech forest, Belgium
Nov 6, 2024Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington, United States
The ‘potato chip bird’
Jul 14, 2025Shark Awareness Day
Sep 24, 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
The butterfly effect
A natural spotlight
Feb 16, 2024Female pyrrhuloxia in Texas, USA
Jan 23, 2024Maldives
A labyrinth of luxury
Incan ingenuity
Dec 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Reflecting on Christmas
Dec 10, 2023Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
Sep 28, 2024Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, USA
Apr 28, 2024Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA