The London Eye

The London Eye is the world's third largest observation wheel, situated on the South Bank of the Thames with magnificent views over London .

The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, is the tallest (135 metres ) Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK, visited by over 3 million people a year.

At the time it was erected it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed by the The Star of Nanchang (160m) in May 2006, and then the Singapore Flyer (165m) which opened on February 11, 2008.

However it is still described as "The world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel" because the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only.

The London Eye is located on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The site is adjacent to that of the former Dome of Discovery, which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951.

The Eye was opened by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on 31 December 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye has been operated by Merlin Entertainments but sponsored by British Airways, has become a major landmark and tourist attraction.

By July 2002, roughly 8.5 million people had ridden the Eye. It had planning permission only for five years, but in now a permanent attraction.

Since 1 January 2005, the Eye has been the focal point of London's New Year celebrations, with 10-minute fireworks displays taking place involving fireworks fired from the wheel itself.

Merlin Entertainments now owns 100% of the Eye. During the bidding process of the 2012 Olympic Games, the London bid organisers announced the Olympic emblem would be attached to the Eye for the duration of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In August of 2007, it was announced that London Eye could be temporarily renamed "The McCartney Eye" after Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles. The renaming would coincide with the release of a McCartney related DVD set titled "The McCartney Years".

Big Ben  St Pauls' Cathedral Tower Bridge Tower of London