Landmarks file

The landmarks file

Sourced facts about the landmarks landmarks.im covers, subject by subject. Every fact links to its source, checked 10 November 2026.

Big Ben and the Elizabeth Tower

Big Ben is the Great Bell in the clock tower at Westminster. The tower, officially the Clock Tower, was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. [source]
The Great Clock began keeping time on 31 May 1859, and Big Ben first rang out on 11 July 1859. [source]
The tower is 96 metres tall, and it is 334 steps to the belfry. [source]
Big Ben fell silent for conservation on 21 August 2017 and returned to regular service in November 2022. [source]

The whole story, sourced: big-ben.landmarks.im.

The Great Laxey Wheel, also called Lady Isabella, is the Isle of Man’s best-known landmark; Manx National Heritage calls it the largest working water wheel in the world. [source]
It is 72 feet 6 inches (over 22 metres) across, was designed by Robert Casement, and has drawn visitors to Laxey for more than 170 years. Visitors climb 95 spiral steps to a platform above it. [source]

Stonehenge was built in stages: first an early henge about 5,000 years ago, then the stone circle in about 2500 BC. [source]
It uses two kinds of stone: the larger sarsens and the smaller bluestones. [source]

Gustave Eiffel’s tower was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, marking 100 years since the French Revolution, in 2 years, 2 months and 5 days. [source]
Its official figures: 1,083 feet tall today, 18,038 iron parts and 2,500,000 rivets. [source]

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886. [source]
It stands 305 feet 1 inch (92.99 metres) from the ground to the tip of the torch, and its copper skin is 3/32 of an inch thick, about two pennies. [source]

Tower Bridge was opened by the Prince of Wales at noon on 30 June 1894. The first vessel through was the Harbour Master’s cutter, Daisy. [source]
Building it took eight years, five major contractors and 432 construction workers a day. [source]
Its bascules ran on steam-powered hydraulics until 1976; today they use oil and electricity. [source]

The Sydney Opera House was designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon. Building began on 2 March 1959, and it opened in 1973. [source]

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