As to why the name supposedly was inscribed on the first and not the second bell, the reason often given is that Sir Hall was no longer the Chief Commissioner when the second bell was cast. The original bell actually cracked before the clock itself was even installed in the tower (more on this later). If you’re wondering why that text is not inscribed there anymore (if it ever truly was), it’s because the current Big Ben is not the original. On the side of the great bell there was also supposedly the inscription “Sir Benjamin Hall MP Chief Commissioner of Works” in his honor, so the workers and others took to calling the bell “Big Ben”. or 1.93 m, with a girth to match) and was the first Commissioner of Works, affectionately known as “Big Ben.” The origin of Big Ben’s name is probably rooted in Sir Benjamin Hall. So how did “Big Ben”- the great bell- get its name? People seemed to be in the habit of nicknaming giant bells and Big Ben was one of the biggest in the world and the largest in the British Isles at the time of its casting, so certainly name-worthy. Over time this has morphed into many calling the clock tower itself that even today, despite the recent, very public, name change. So why is it so often called “Big Ben”? That is due to the great bell inside the tower that chimes the hour out and goes by that name. Before that, it was just called “Clock Tower”. Rather, it is named “Elizabeth Tower”, after Queen Elizabeth II named such during her Diamond Jubilee (the 2012 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne). This tower is one of London’s major icons, ranking right up there with red double-decker buses, the London Eye, and Platform 9 ¾.Ĭontrary to popular belief, the clock tower itself is not named “Big Ben”. If you’ve ever been to London, or even seen a picture of London, you’ve probably seen the giant clock tower at the corner of the Palace of Westminster.
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