Sounds We've Lost: Echoes of the Past
Twenty Thousand Hertz
00:00
The Silence of the Bell
The Elizabeth Tower was finished in 1859. The great bell, eventually named Big Ben, was hung shortly after. It rang continuously until World War I, when it was silenced for two years to hide it from German Zeppelin's at night. After that, there were only two other times that it was silenced, both times for repairs. Jack the Ripper and David Bowie heard this bell daily at some point in their lives. Now they're set to be silenced for several months next year for major renovations.
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