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The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben is the name of the largest bell inside the tower)

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  Location: Westminster, London, (United Kingdom) (Continent of Europe)
• Built by: A rchitects Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin
• Date built: Constructed in 1367 was the first tower and clock. In 1698 the tower was torn down and rebuilt with a sundial instead of a clock. In 1859 after a fire burned the Palace of Westminster, another tower and clock were built (about 66 years ago).
• How long to build: It took 13 years to build
• Size: 315 ft (96 m) tall. The tower has 11 floors, 334 steps to the bells, and another 55 stairs to get to the light at the top. They light it when Parliament (England’s government) is in session.
• Weight: The bell (Big Ben, the largest bell in the tower) weighs about 14 tons (14,225 kg)
• The Palace of Westminster used to be a royal residence, but now it is the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
• Big Ben is only a nickname for the tower. The actual name is Elizabeth Tower (dedicated to the queen in 2012 for her 60 years on the throne). It used to be called The Clock Tower.
• There are five bells, each between 1.2-4 tons (1,219-4,064 kg).
• four clocks on the tower keep time very accurately. Each week, the clocks are wound three times and are only about 2 seconds off. To help keep the best time, they will put an English penny on or off the pendulums (they part in the clock that swings).
• The name of the great bell is under debate. Some say the name came from the First Commissioner for Works, Sir Benjamin Hall, and others say the name came from the bare-knuckle heavyweight boxing champion Ben Caunt.