100th Anniversary of Big Ben Broadcast

On December 31, 1923, the chimes of Big Ben resounded not just in the immediate environs of the Palace of Westminster, but far across the British Isles as the BBC broadcast for the first time the 12 strokes at midnight to herald the start of a New Year.

Engineers, not allowed inside the Houses of Parliament, were consigned to scale the roof of the iconic building to plant microphones in advance of the occasion. The resultant broadcast included not just the bells, but also much traffic noise from the adjacent roads. In following years, low-sensitivity microphones were installed directly next to the bells for the cleanest sound transmission.

Image: Detail from Issue 1468 of Radio Times, Television Edition. The BBC-produced journal gives the programming schedule for Dec. 30, 1951, to Jan. 5, 1952, which includes an entry for Big Ben tolling at midnight on New Year's Eve before a 'Toast to 1952' and the British national anthem. Courtesy: BBC.

This year marks one century since that first broadcast and the National Bell Festival is pleased to help Big Ben reverberate even wider. Tune-in to the BBC just before midnight to hear Big Ben ring!
 

What is Big Ben?

Big Ben is the nickname for the largest bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, housed in the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Officially known as the Great Bell but better known as Big Ben, the bell was originally cast in August 1856 in Stockton-on-Tees by John Warner & Sons, but it didn’t last. Following a catastrophic crack, the bell was recast on April 10, 1858, at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London. It weighs 30,339 lbs. and sounds an E-natural.

Along with Big Ben, the belfry is home to four quarter bells which play the Westminster Quarters on the quarter hours – a chime instantly recognized and often imitated the world over. The tower and the sound of its bells are a focal point of London, remaining one of the most photographed landmarks in the United Kingdom.
 

How can I hear the bells?

Big Ben will be struck 12 times on New Year’s Eve at precisely midnight London time. The tolling will be broadcast on BBC radio and television programming. BBC News, the 24-hour news channel, is available in the UK and over 200 countries worldwide. Here's how to watch BBC News at home.

Cover image: Night view of the Great Clock of Westminster, which crowns the Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.