Big Ben is one of the most famous landmarks of the world. The chimes of Big Ben have been ringing out of the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London since 1859. To be precise, not the whole of the clock tower is named Big Ben, but only the largest of the 5 bells weighing in at 13.5 tons. The major bell of London?s emblem was supposedly named by the first Secretary of Labour, Sir Benjamin Hall; or by Heavy Weight boxing legend Ben Caunt, depending on which story you believe. The four clock faces of the 96m (315 ft) high clock tower have a diameter of 7m (approx. 23 ft) each and the minute hands measure more than 4m (13 ft) in length. Four mechanics take care of the constant working order of the tower 24 hours a day.
