Big Ben is the nickname for the Great
Bell of the
clock at the north end of the
Palace of Westminster in
London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the
clock tower. The tower is officially known as
Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the
Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously it was known simply as the
Clock Tower. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world (after
Minneapolis City Hall). The tower was completed in 1858 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the
establishing shot of films set in London.