The midnight New Year's Eve ceremony in New York City's Times Square is called the ball drop.
During the ball drop, a large illuminated sphere descends a pole on One Times Square during the final minute of December 31. It reaches the bottom at midnight, marking the beginning of the new year for the crowd in Times Square and for viewers watching broadcasts around the world.
The tradition began in 1907, when the New York Times organized a New Year's celebration to promote its new headquarters in the area then known as Longacre Square. The newspaper had moved there in 1905, and the square was renamed Times Square that same year.
The ball has been redesigned several times. Early versions used wood, iron, and incandescent bulbs; later versions introduced aluminum and crystal. Wartime blackouts suspended the lowering in 1942 and 1943, but the event continued through public silence and reduced lighting.