What is dropped at midnight in New York City's Times Square on New Year's Eve?

The Times Square Ball is dropped at midnight in New York City on New Year's Eve.

The first ball descent took place on December 31, 1907, welcoming 1908. Newspaper publisher Adolph Ochs organized the celebration for the headquarters of The New York Times, which had moved to the area then known as Longacre Square. The illuminated ball was created by electrician Artkraft Strauss.

The event was suspended during World War II blackouts in 1942 and 1943. During those years, crowds observed a minute of silence instead, while church bells sounded. The ball returned for the 1944 celebration.

The modern ball is far larger and more elaborate than the original. It is covered with Waterford crystal panels and illuminated by LEDs. A common mix-up is to call the object simply a “crystal ball,” but its standard name is the Times Square Ball. The descent lasts about 60 seconds and ends exactly at midnight in the Eastern Time Zone.