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World's most famous clock - Big Ben - rings in its 150th anniversary

(30 May 2009) Defiantly low-tech yet accurate to the second, London's Big Ben - the most famous clock in the world - is having its 150th birthday on Sunday. The clock started ticking on 31 May 1859 - and the bell was struck for the first time six weeks later. 150 years on, Big Ben is the iconic symbol of London, and one of the world's best-known landmarks. Part of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the British parliament, Big Ben is a little less than most people imagine. The name is commonly used to describe the clock tower, including the clock face and the bell. But, technically, Big Ben refers just to the biggest of the bells inside the tower - the Great Bell - which weighs more than thirteen tons. How Big Ben became known by this name is open to question. Ian Westworth, who maintains Big Ben and the other clocks in the Palace of Westminster, says there are two theories. One is that it was named after a very large bare-knuckle fighter. The other is that it was named after an equally-large Palace official. Millions (m) of tourists have travelled to London to witness the distinctive chimes of Big Ben. Millions more have heard the bell on the BBC World Service, where for decades it was broadcast each hour. Westworth said there was a good reason why Big Ben made such a distinctive sound. "It has a crack in two places which gives it a slightly off pitch," he said. And that seems to be the secret of Big Ben's enduring popularity across the world. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...