Big Ben’s clock bell is the London landmark traditionally heard during the United Kingdom’s New Year’s Eve countdown.
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. In everyday usage, the name is also often applied to the clock and clock tower, although the tower was officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012. The bell’s deep strikes are broadcast as the new year begins.
The Great Clock began keeping time in 1859, and the bell became one of London’s most recognizable sounds. Its hourly chimes and quarter-hour melodies are distinct from the deeper hour strike associated with midnight.
Broadcast arrangements can vary, and maintenance has sometimes affected the sound heard by the public. The London Eye is a nearby landmark used in fireworks displays, but it is not the clock bell that traditionally marks the countdown.