Elizabeth Tower is the London landmark whose clock bell, commonly called Big Ben, is associated with the midnight New Year's Eve countdown. The tower stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster beside the River Thames.
Big Ben is technically the nickname of the Great Bell inside the tower, not the tower itself. The clock became operational in 1859, and its hourly chimes have become one of Britain's best-known sound marks.
The tower was officially renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to honor Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. New Year's broadcasts often show the clock face and hear the bell's chimes, while London's main public fireworks display takes place along the Thames and is viewed from areas including the South Bank.