Big Ben is the London landmark whose clock is televised during the United Kingdom's best-known New Year's Eve countdown.
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell in the Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. In everyday speech, people often use “Big Ben” for the entire clock tower, although the official name of the tower became the Elizabeth Tower in 2012. The clock's midnight strikes are a familiar part of BBC New Year's Eve coverage.
The tower was completed in 1859 as part of Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin's rebuilt Palace of Westminster. Its four clock faces are each about 7 metres in diameter. The bell's chimes are nationally recognizable, but broadcasts may use recorded or specially managed sound when maintenance or restrictions affect live transmission. Big Ben's midnight role is separate from London's large fireworks display along the River Thames.