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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Big Ben
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The popular name used both for the clock above the *Houses of Parliament and for the tower which supports it (St Stephen's Tower). The name was given originally to the great bell (weighing about 13.5 tons) which strikes the hours and quarters. It was cast in 1858 and first chimed in the tower on 31 May 1859. There are two versions of the origin of the name, neither provable from any documentary source; one relates it to Sir Benjamin Hall, who was chief commissioner of works, and the other to a popular heavyweight boxer, Benjamin Caunt. The clock was exceptionally accurate for its period (within one second per hour was the specification) and the chimes of Big Ben have long been a symbol of the nation's time-keeping. They have been broadcast by the BBC since 1923.
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