Tennis recreational players and is also a popular worldwide spectator sport. The four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the Majors) are especially popular: the Australian Open played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open also played on hard courts. Historians believe that the game's ancient origin lay in 12th century northern France, where a ball was struck with the palm of the hand. Louis X of France was a keen player of jeu de paume ("game of the palm"), which evolved into real tennis, and became
Hampton Court astronomical clock Hampton Court astronomical clock Hampton Court astronomical clock is a sixteenth-century astronomical clock in Hampton Court Palace. The clock was installed in 1540 on the gatehouse to the inner court at Hampton Court Palace. It was designed by Nicholas Crazter and made by Nicholas Oursian. This pre-Copernican and pre-Galilean astronomical clock is still functioning. The clock is in diameter with three separate copper dials revolving at different speeds and displays the following information: The latter information was of great importance to those visiting this Thames-side palace from London, as the preferred method of transport at the time was by barge,