Big Ben is the clock tower famous for its accuracy of time and a thirteen-ton bell. It was designed by Edmund Beckett, the first baron of Grimthorpe. It is housed in the clock tower of the House of Commons at the eastern end of the British parliament, Westminister, London. The British parliament is often mistakenly called Big Ben. This is actually the name of its biggest bell. It is so called because Sir Benjamin Hall, the Chief Commissioner of Works, was the minister responsible for its installation. Originally the name applied only to the bell, but eventually it came to indicate the clock itself. It had its first tick on 31st May, 1859. It had the longest stoppage for 13 days from the noon of 4th April till the noon of 17th April, 1977.
The hour bell in the clock tower was cast in 1858 and is the most broadcast bell in the world as the deep and resonant boom of the bell is regularly broadcast by the BBC all over the world. The path leading to the Big Ben is a spiral staircase of 374 steps. The height of the Roman numerals on the clock face is 2 feet and the pendulum is 13 ft long. Initially, two men used to wind the clock every week but now it is electrically wound.
One of the most significant features of this clock has been its great accuracy ever since it was installed.
