The principle of the Foucault Pendulum was first demonstrated in the Pantheon in Paris in 1851 by French Physicist Jean Bernard Leon Foucault. It is significant because it is visible proof of the earth’s rotation on its axis. Dutch physicist, Willem Bahler, verified the installation of the pendulum in the main lobby of the General Assembly Building before the ceremony. The pendulum was specifically designed in the Dutch research laboratory of N.V. Phillips’ Gloeilampenfabrieken, in the Netherlands.   

The pendulum is suspended 75 feet above the floor by a stainless-steel wire and is a 200-pound gold-plated sphere. A universal joint makes the device swing freely in any direction. The sphere moves over a raised metal ring with an electromagnet at the center, which creates a current inside the copper ball. This current then creates the necessary energy to overcome friction and air resistance, and keeps it swinging. The sphere takes approximately 36 hours and 45 minutes to complete its cycle. 

Inscribed on the steel shaft supporting the dial under the pendulum is a message from Queen Juliana (1909 – 2004), “It is a privilege to live today and tomorrow.”

Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld (1905 – 1961) accepted the gift on behalf of the United Nations in 1955. The presentation was made by the Netherlands Foreign Minister, Dr. Joseph Marie Antoine Hubert Luns (1911 – 2002), at a ceremony with United Nations General Assembly President Maza and members of the Netherlands delegation in the public lobby of the General Assembly building.