London's Big Ben

 The Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben, are among London's most iconic landmarks.  


Big Ben Facts  

•  Big Ben is the name given to the massive bell inside the clock tower, which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg).
• Each dial is seven metres in diameter.
• The minute hands are 4.2 metres long and weigh about 100kg.
• The numbers are approximately 60cm long
• There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial
• A special light above the clock faces is illuminated when parliament is in session.
• Big Ben's timekeeping is strictly regulated by a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum.
• Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours.
• The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day. 
• In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. 

                                              Why Ben?

The origin of the name Big Ben is not known, although two different theories exist.

• The first is that is was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first commissioner of works, a large man who was known affectionately in the house as "Big Ben".

• The second theory is that it was named after a heavyweight boxing champion at that time, Benjamin Caunt. Also known as "Big Ben", this nickname was commonly bestowed in society to anything that was the heaviest in its class.

                                                                                                               Adapted from Visit London