The crystal-covered ball first introduced for New Year's Eve in Times Square in 2000 was called the Millennium Ball.
The Millennium Ball was created for the celebration welcoming the year 2000. It marked a major technological and visual change from earlier Times Square balls and began the event's long association with Waterford crystal. The ball was made with thousands of crystal panels and illuminated from within.
The Times Square ball has been redesigned several times since the first drop in 1907. Its size, lighting systems, and crystal pattern have all changed, while the basic idea remains a descending illuminated sphere reaching the base at midnight.
The term “Millennium Ball” can be confused with later names for the Times Square ball. The official object is generally known simply as the Times Square Ball, but its 2000 version was specifically created for the millennium celebration.