World Peace Bell (Newport, Kentucky) facts for kids
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 66,000 lb (30,000 kg) |
| Diameter: | 12 feet (3.7 m) |
| Material: | 80% copper, 20% tin |
| Yoke: | 16,512 pounds (7,490 kg) |
| Clapper: | 6,878 pounds (3,120 kg) |
| Location: | Newport, Kentucky, United States |
| Casting Date: | December 11, 1998 |
| Musical note: | A |
The World Peace Bell in Newport, Kentucky, is a huge bell that reminds us about peace around the world. It is one of many "Peace Bells" found across the globe. This amazing bell weighs about 30,000 kilograms (that's 66,000 pounds, or as much as five elephants!). It is also very wide, measuring 3.7 meters (12 feet) across.
For several years, from 2000 to 2006, the World Peace Bell was the biggest bell in the world that could actually swing and ring. It was officially opened on December 31, 1999. The bell rang for the very first time as the year 2000 began. To show its message of world peace, the bell has special words carved into it. These words remember the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is a document about the rights everyone should have. The bell also has pictures carved into it that show important events from the last 1,000 years.
The Bell's Journey
The idea for the World Peace Bell started in 1997. The first plan was to build a very tall tower, over 400 meters (1,400 feet) high, in Newport, Kentucky. This tower would have held the bell and 85 smaller bells, like a giant musical instrument called a carillon. At first, it was even called "The Millennium Bell." Later, the plans changed to a smaller tower and a museum next to the bell.
How the Bell Was Made
The World Peace Bell was not made in Kentucky. It was cast, or poured, in Nantes, France, on December 11, 1998. This date was special because it was the 50th birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bell was made in a factory that usually makes ship propellers. Experts from a famous French bell-making company, Fonderie Paccard, watched over the process very carefully. A master bell maker named Pierre Paccard, along with his sons, helped create this giant bell.
Its Amazing Trip to America
After it was made, the World Peace Bell rang for the first time in Nantes, France, on March 20, 1999. Many people came to see this special event. Then, the bell began a long journey across the ocean. It traveled by ship for about a month and a half to New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. In New Orleans, the bell was part of the city's Fourth of July celebrations.
From New Orleans, the bell continued its trip by barge, which is a flat-bottomed boat. It traveled up the Mississippi River and then the Ohio River. The bell stopped in 14 different cities along the way, letting many people see it. Finally, it arrived in northern Kentucky on August 1, 1999. Its arrival happened during a big festival called "Tall Stacks," which celebrates riverboats.
When the Bell Rings
The World Peace Bell rang by swinging for the first time in the U.S. on January 1, 2000, exactly at midnight. It rang twelve times, and its sound could be heard for about 40 kilometers (25 miles)!
Today, the bell rings on special occasions. It also rings every day at five minutes before noon. This special time is chosen so that its sound does not clash with the courthouse bells nearby, which ring exactly at noon.
The part that hits the bell to make it chime is called a striker. It is made of cast iron and was created in Cincinnati, Ohio. A special type of iron was used for the striker. This helps make sure it does not damage the bell when it hits the outside edge. The striker allows the bell to chime without needing to swing the entire bell.
The tower where the bell hangs, the bridge that connects the museum to the bell, and most of the other parts of the Millennium Monument were made by companies right in the Newport, Kentucky, area. You can find the World Peace Bell Center at 425 York Street, Newport, Kentucky, 41071, USA.
