Fun facts
Each fact was checked against the source it links to. Facts can change: if one is out of date, tell us.
- 1
“Big Ben” is the nickname of the Great Bell, not of the tower. The tower was named Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
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The UK has no single written constitution. Its rules come from laws, court decisions and conventions.
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The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn, an animal that never existed.
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London has the world’s oldest underground railway. The first line opened on 10 January 1863, with steam trains.
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Wales is not shown on the Union Flag. The flag combines the crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick.
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The world’s first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in the UK in 1840.
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Wimbledon, first played in 1877, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
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The monarch has an official birthday in June, marked by the Trooping the Colour parade, as well as a real one.
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Stonehenge was built in stages starting around 3000 BC, centuries before the Egyptian pyramids of Giza.
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The benches in the House of Commons are green, and those in the House of Lords are red.
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