BIG BEN LONDON

BIG BEN

LONDON ENGLAND

MAY 31 1859

Big Ben, located in the 320 foot high St. Stephen's Tower , rang for the

first time over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, today, May 31,

1859

The St. Stephen's Tower was a stand out feature in the plans for the new

palace to replace the Place of Westminster which was destroyed by fire in 1834.

Sir George Airy, the Royal Astronomer, wanted a clock with pinpoint

accuracy which included twice a day checks with the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

Edmund Beckett Denison, an English barrister with expertise in the science of time

measurement, known as horology, helped Sir George accomplish the placement

of the clock.

Originally “Big Ben” applied to the bell only, then later to the clock, bell and

all..

There are two stories about who the Big Ban was named for. It was either

Sir Benjamin Hall, a long winded commissioner of London, or, Benjamin Caunt,

a very large heavyweight boxed, since it was biggest of biggest.

Big Ben survived WW II . The accurate timekeeping is regulated by the

placement of a stack of coin on the clocks \huge pendulum, keeping the clock

hands in steady movement at all times.. At night the clocks four faces are illuminated.

The light above Big Ben is only lit when Parliament is in session.

Source: History Today www.