It may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt.

The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question. It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. On, celebrations were held to mark the tower's 150th anniversary.īig Ben is the largest of the tower's five bells and weighs 13.5 long tons. All four nations of the UK are represented on the tower in shields featuring a rose for England, thistle for Scotland, shamrock for Northern Ireland, and leek for Wales. Dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-Gothic style. It was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom.

The name is frequently extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower. Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster.

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