There are two theories about the origin of the name. The first is that Big Ben (Big Ben) was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the casting of the bell. According to another, the heaviest at the time the bell - 13.7 tons - was given its name in honor of Benjamin's County, is extremely popular at the time boxer in the heavyweight division.
The tower was built in 1858, the tower clock set in motion May 21, 1859. The official name - "The Clock Tower of Westminster Palace," or "Tower of St. Stephen." Tower height 96.3 meters (with spire); clock located at a height of 55 m from the ground. With a diameter of the dial at 7 meters and a length of the arrows in the 2,7 and 4,2 meters, hours were long considered the biggest in the world. Precision of five-ton clock mechanism is achieved by using coins, weighing 1.5 grams: when the clock starts to lag, the pendulum is placed an old English penny, which accelerates its move to 2.5 seconds per day.
