The Liberty Bell Cracked the First Time It Was Rung

The Liberty Bell — one of America's most iconic symbols of freedom — had a troubled beginning. The original bell ordered from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London arrived in Philadelphia in 1752 and cracked on its very first test ring. Local craftsmen John Pass and John Stow recast it, but their first attempt was widely criticized for producing a poor tone.

They recast it a second time in 1753, and this version survived. The famous crack that appears in the modern bell likely occurred sometime in the 1800s — possibly during a celebratory ring for George Washington's birthday in 1846. The bell last rang publicly on February 23, 1846, and has been silent ever since, preserved as a historical artifact.