Dick Clark hosted ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve for more than 30 years before Ryan Seacrest became the principal host.
The television special began in 1972, when it was created as an alternative to Guy Lombardo's long-running New Year's broadcasts. Dick Clark hosted the program for decades and became strongly associated with the televised countdown from Times Square. The show's full title later incorporated his name as Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
Clark continued appearing after a stroke in 2004, while other presenters increasingly shared hosting duties. Ryan Seacrest became the main host in 2005, and the program retained Clark's name after Clark died in 2012. A frequent mix-up is to call the broadcast simply “the Times Square ball drop”; the special is a television program that includes that event along with musical performances.