Big Ben's clock bell is popularly associated with the United Kingdom's New Year's Eve countdown.
Big Ben is the nickname commonly used for the Great Bell at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. Strictly speaking, the Elizabeth Tower is the structure containing the clock and bell, while Big Ben is the bell itself. The name is often used informally for the entire clock tower.
At midnight, broadcasters transmit the bell's chimes as the new year begins in the United Kingdom. The sound provides the familiar audio marker for the countdown, while crowds gather around London and watch fireworks from locations along the River Thames.
The tower was completed in the nineteenth century as part of Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin's rebuilt Palace of Westminster. Its official name changed from Clock Tower to Elizabeth Tower in 2012, but Big Ben remains the better-known public name. The London Eye is a separate landmark and is closely linked with the city's fireworks, not the bell itself.