The Times Square Ball Drop is the New Year's Eve celebration in which the illuminated ball descends at midnight in New York City.
The first ball descended in 1907, and the tradition continued as the centerpiece of the Times Square New Year's celebration. The object has been redesigned several times as technology, materials, and sponsorship changed. In 2000, a new crystal ball was introduced for the millennium celebration and later became the basis of the modern design.
The current ball is covered with Waterford crystal panels and illuminated by LEDs. Its descent from One Times Square is watched by people gathered in Times Square and by viewers through international broadcasts.
The ball itself is not the same as the television program Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. That program broadcasts the Times Square ceremony but is a separate entertainment production. The event's history also predates the television show's debut by decades.