New York City’s Times Square tradition of lowering a lit sphere is called the Ball Drop. The event culminates at midnight on New Year’s Eve, when the illuminated Times Square Ball descends a flagpole above One Times Square.
The first Times Square ball drop took place on 31 December 1907, welcoming 1908. The original ball was made of iron and wood and illuminated with electric lights. Later versions became larger, brighter, and more technologically elaborate, while the basic countdown ritual remained recognizable.
The ball is raised before the descent, so “dropping” describes the timed lowering rather than the sphere simply falling. The ceremony is different from the fireworks displays held elsewhere in New York City, and the current ball is a permanent annual symbol rather than the newspaper-related origin story behind the event.