What 1,000-year celebration gave the London Eye its original name, the Millennium Wheel?

The London Eye was built to celebrate the new millennium and was originally called the Millennium Wheel.

The observation wheel was conceived as a major landmark for the millennium celebrations at the turn of 2000. It was constructed on the South Bank of the River Thames and opened to the public in March 2000. Its official name later became the London Eye, although “Millennium Wheel” remains a widely recognized former name.

The structure was designed by Marks Barfield Architects and became one of London's most recognizable modern attractions. Its passenger capsules provide views across central London, including landmarks along the Thames.

A calendar technicality often causes confusion: the third millennium began in 2001 if counted from a year 1 with no year zero. Nevertheless, the public celebrations at the end of 1999 and start of 2000 were universally marketed as millennium celebrations, and that is the event the wheel commemorated.