THE BELL: Strictly speaking, the name "Big Ben" applies only to the bell, although nearly everyone it to describe the clock tower that houses it. The origins of the name are obscure. Some say the inspiration was Ben Caunt, a 19th century heavyweight boxer; others point to another bulky Briton, Sir Benjamin Hall, the first Commissioner of Works.

THE CLOCK: Edmund Beckett Denison's design for the "King of Clocks" was revolutionary. Many at the time thought that keeping a large outdoor clock accurate to within a second was impossible, but Denison's innovations included a device to help insulate the pendulum from the force of the elements pushing against the clock hands.