This Job's for the Birds-- Part 3: Many Uses of the Tower of London

The jet-black birds are a familiar feature at the Tower of London landmark, which has served as an arsenal, palace, prison, zoo and more recently a tourist attraction. 

Built by King William I after hiss conquest of England in 1066, it served as a royal residence for several hundred years, but is more famous as a prison.  Famous inmates have included Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I; Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament; and Adolph Hitler's deputy, Rudolph Hess.

Nowadays, almost 3 million tourists come each year to soak up history and see the glittering Crown Jewels which are kept there.

--Cooter

This Month in the American Revolution: Boston Massacre, 'Liberty or Death', Charleston Siege

From the American Battlefield Trust calendar and timeline.

MARCH 5, 1770

**  Boston Massacre

MARCH 7, 1776

**  British evacuate Boston.

MARCH 23, 1775

**  Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech in Richmond, Virginia.

MARCH 29, 1780

**  Siege of Charleston, South Carolina, begins. 

MARCH 31, 1774

Boston Port Act.  Parliament closes the city's December Tea Party.

--Brock-Perry

Big Ben Goes Silent-- Part 2: Longest Period of Silence Ever

Steve Jaggs, keeper of the Great Clock, said that the clock mechanism will be dismantled piece by piece, and its four dials will be cleaned and repaired.  The 15.1-ton bell will be cleaned and checked for cracks.

Big Ben has been stopped several times since it first sounded in 1859, but the current restoration project marks the longest period of silence.

Parliamentary officials say, however, that they will ensure that the bell still sounds on major occasions like New years Eve and Remembrance Sunday.

--Cooter

Big Ben Goes Silent-- Part 1: No Bongs for Four Years

From the September 3, 2017, Chicago Tribune "Big Ben to fall silent for 4 years" by AP.

If you're going top visit London with the idea of hearing the massive bongs of Big Ben, you're too late.  At least for the next four years, Big Ben goes silent.

Big Ben, the huge clock bell of Britain's Parliament has fallen silent as a four-year restoration project gets underway.

The bongs of the iconic bell stopped chiming at noon on August 21 to protect workers during the $38 million repair job on the Queen Elizabeth Tower which house Big Ben and its clock.  (Most people think Big Ben is the name of the tower.)  It isn't due to resume service until 2021.

--Cooter