Two main stories exist about how Big Ben got its name. The name “Big Ben” originally just applied to the bell but later came to refer to the clock itself. While many clockmakers dismissed this goal as impossible, Airy counted on the help of Edmund Beckett Denison, a formidable barrister known for his expertise in horology, or the science of measuring time. The royal astronomer, Sir George Airy, wanted the clock to have pinpoint accuracy, including twice-a-day checks with the Royal Greenwich Observatory. The famous tower clock known as Big Ben, located at the top of the 320-foot-high Elizabeth Tower, rings out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, for the first time on May 31, 1859.Īfter a fire destroyed much of the Palace of Westminster-the headquarters of the British Parliament-in October 1834, a standout feature of the design for the new palace was a large clock atop a tower.
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