Big Ben

Facts About Big Ben

•   Big Ben first chimed on the 31st of May, 1859.
• The origin of the name “Big Ben” remains uncertain. Some believe that the Clock Tower was named after civil engineer and politician Benjamin Hall, who was very tall. Others believe the tower was named after heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt, an Englishman who won a tournament in the year the tower was at the center of a great debate in London.
•  Big Ben chimes every 15 minutes and the sound can be heard for a radius of up to 5 miles.
  
•  Whenever Parliament is in session, the Union Flag is flown from Victoria Tower.
•  The clock’s time is adjusted every year with an old British penny. If the clock is fast, a penny is added to the pendulum, and if the clock is slow, one is removed
•  Finally, the history of Big Ben began with a problem. Its construction was marked by delays in delivery, budget issues and bureaucracy. Additionally, the tower was too small for the mechanical clock, and the 16.25 tonne bell broke the day after testing, so a replacement had to be very gently placed in the bell tower. The minute hand has also been changed twice, since it was too heavy to move around the clock face.
  
  

http://www.localnomad.com/en/blog/2012/08/31/10-interesting-facts-about-londons-big-ben/