Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the Palace of Westminster in London, first struck in 1859. Its hourly bongs were broadcast live by the BBC from the 1920s, making the tone familiar far beyond Britain. Clips of repeated strikes later circulated as soundboard and meme audio, where more bongs than a real hour would need became the joke itself. The sound remains popular because one note instantly signals London, time passing, and mock-serious importance.