Which New Year’s Eve event in New York is famous for the midnight lowering of a large illuminated ball?

The New York New Year’s Eve event famous for lowering a large illuminated ball is the Times Square Ball Drop.

The tradition takes place at One Times Square in Manhattan, where the ball descends a pole during the final minute before midnight. Millions of people watch the event in person, on television, or through online broadcasts. The descending ball represents the final countdown to January 1.

The first ball drop occurred in 1907 after New York City officials restricted the fireworks previously used by the New York Times to mark the opening of its headquarters. The original device was much smaller and simpler than the modern ball.

Today’s ball uses illuminated crystal panels and programmable LED lighting. It is displayed at One Times Square for much of the year, though the midnight descent remains its defining public appearance. The event is sometimes mistakenly described as a ball “falling”; it is lowered in a controlled descent.