• Officially "Big Ben" does not refer to the clock tower but instead to the huge thirteen ton Great Bell located at the top of the 320-foot-high tower.
  • The real name of the tower, housing the clock, is 'Clock Tower'. Big Ben is the nickname of the main bell, formally known as the Great Bell, housed within the tower.
  • Technically, Big Ben is the name given to the massive bell inside the clock tower, which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg).
  • Why is Big Ben called Big Ben? Big Ben is not the name of the clock tower, it is the name of the 15.1-ton bell inside the tower that chimes every hour.
  • The largest of the tower’s five bells is the Big Ben, which weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons) and is named after Sir Benjamin Hall.
  • The first chimes of the Big Ben clock were heard in 1859, but like most old English architecture, the tower has a much longer and more complex history.
  • Big Ben was cast on 10th April 1858, the Great Clock started working on 31st May 1859 , and Big Ben first chimed the hour on 11th July 1859.
  • These 90-minute tours of Big Ben take you up the Elizabeth Tower, behind the clock faces, and into the belfry to see Big Ben itself.
  • The first fellow to show up for the position had no arms. In the interview, they asked "How can you hit Big Ben with the striker if you have no arms?"
  • Big Ben or The Clock Tower is the most famous landmark of London which is popularly known for its striking clock and a gigantic bell.