Big Ben’s clock strikes midnight during the United Kingdom’s televised New Year’s Eve countdown.
Big Ben is the nickname commonly used for the Great Bell in the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster. The tower’s clock began operating in 1859, while the bell first struck on July 11 of that year. Technically, the name Big Ben refers to the bell rather than the entire tower or clock, although everyday usage often applies it to the landmark as a whole.
At midnight on December 31, the sound of the bell is broadcast nationally and internationally. The tower stands beside the River Thames in central London, making its illuminated clock face a familiar image in New Year coverage.
The tower was officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. Before that, it was generally called the Clock Tower. The name Big Ben remains the most familiar term for the New Year sound.