12 Jul 2009

Big Ben celebrates 150th birthday

9:47 am on 12 July 2009

London celebrated the 150th birthday of one of its most famous landmarks on Saturday.

The great bell housed in the Palace of Westminster's clock tower, next to the Houses of Parliament, first chimed the hour on 11 July 1859.

The bell weighs almost 14 tonnes. Its sound has been used in British broadcasting for decades.

To mark the anniversary, the message 'Happy Birthday Big Ben' was projected onto the clock tower.