1. The London Eye

2. The London Eye was opened in March 2000. Since that time it has become an iconic landmark and a symbol of modern Britain.

3. The construction of the London Eye was projected by David Marks and his wife Julia Barfield. They used the wheel design as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium.

4. It took seven years and the skills of hundreds of people from five countries to make the London Eye a reality

5. The London Eye welcomes 3.5 million customers every year.

6. The London Eye stands 135 m high. It’s equivalent is 64 red telephone boxes piled on top of each other)

7. It is the third world’s highest observation wheel

8. It offers spectacular views of the capital’s most famous sights.

9. You can see around 40km from the top as far as Windsor Castle on a clear day.

10. Your flight will take approximately 30 minutes. It means that a capsule travels at 26cm per second, or twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting.

11. This speed allows passengers to step on and off without the wheel having to stop.

12. The London Eye can carry 800 passengers per revolution - equivalent to 11 London red doubled-decker buses

13. Each of the 32 capsules weighs 10 tonnes. To put that figure into perspective, it's the same weight as 1,052,631 pound coins!

14. The London Eye has won over 75 awards for national and international tourism, outstanding architectural quality and engineering achievement since opening in March 2000.