Big Ben

The towering structure you are approaching is officially named the Elizabeth Tower, though almost everyone knows it by the name of the massive bell hanging inside. That bell is the true Big Ben, a thirteen-ton giant that sounds the hour with a distinct E-natural tone. Its name likely honors Sir Benjamin Hall, the official who oversaw its installation, though some historians point toward a popular nineteenth-century heavyweight boxer named Ben Caunt. Regardless of the origin, the name has stuck for over a century and a half, becoming one of the most recognized labels in the world.