The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball redesigned for the 2000 celebration was called the Millennium Ball.
The Millennium Ball was created for the transition from 1999 to 2000, a globally watched moment associated with the start of a new millennium. It used Waterford Crystal panels and an illuminated design intended to make the object appear brighter and more elaborate than earlier versions.
The ball tradition itself dates to 1907, but the object displayed at Times Square has been replaced or redesigned several times. The Millennium Ball remained in use for later ceremonies before subsequent upgrades changed its lighting and exterior.
A common mix-up is to call every Times Square ball the “Millennium Ball.” That name specifically identifies the version introduced for the 2000 celebration, while the current ball is a later design. The event’s symbolism also involves a calendar nuance: the third millennium technically began in 2001, although the 1999–2000 transition was popularly celebrated as the millennium change.