Times Square Ball Drop: As the new year is approaching, millions of people around the world turn their attention to a single place, i.e., Times Square in New York City. Every New Year’s Eve, a glittering crystal ball drops from the top of Times Square, marking the final seconds of the year and the hopeful beginning of another.
Today, the Times Square Ball Drop is celebrated as a worldwide event that is seen by over 1 billion people, but the idea originated from something much more practical than just being something fun to watch.
Originally, this tradition was not started for entertainment purposes, but rather as a very practical way for ship captains to know what time it was on land.
The original purpose of this event was to provide a way for ship captains to know what time it was on land.
But, now, over the past 100 years, that original purpose has been transformed into an extremely popular New Year’s tradition celebrated all over the world.
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Who started the Times Square Ball Drop?
The story of the Times Square Ball Drop begins in 19th-century England. In 1833, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich installed the world’s first “time ball.” Each day at exactly 1:00 p.m., a large ball dropped from a pole on the observatory’s roof.
This was not meant for celebration. It was a practical solution for ship captains sailing the River Thames. Accurate timekeeping was essential for navigation at sea. Even a small error in a ship’s chronometer could send a vessel miles off course.
So, the visible drop of the time ball allowed captains to set their clocks precisely, improving safety and navigation.
The idea proved effective and soon spread across the world.
When Did the Times Square Ball Drop Start?
The first Times Square Ball Drop took place on December 31, 1907. Ochs commissioned a young immigrant metalworker, Jacob Starr, founder of the company Artkraft Strauss, to build the ball.
The original ball was five feet in diameter, weighed around 700 pounds, and was made of iron and wood. It was decorated with 100 incandescent light bulbs, which were considered advanced technology at the time.
On New Year’s Eve, six workers hoisted the ball to the top of One Times Square using ropes. At midnight, it was lowered as more than 200,000 people watched.
The event then was an immediate success and firmly established Times Square as New York City’s New Year’s Eve gathering place.
The Evolution of the Times Square Ball
The Times Square Ball has changed many times, and every version of the ball represents the era and innovation of the respective year.
| Years | Description |
| 1907-1920 | The original ball, made of iron and wood with 100 incandescent bulbs. |
| 1920-1955 | A lighter version made of wrought iron. |
| 1955-1998 | An aluminum ball weighing just 150 pounds. |
| 1981-1988 | A temporary transformation into a glowing red apple for the “I Love New York” campaign. |
| 1999-2000 | The first Waterford Crystal ball for the new millennium. |
| 2008-2024 | A 12-foot ball with thousands of crystal panels and LED lights. |
| 2025-Present | The Constellation Ball, featuring circular Waterford crystals symbolising infinity and advanced interactive lighting technology. |
What time is the Ball Drop in Times Square?
The Times Square ball drops at the moment when the clock strikes 12 a.m., ushering in the new year.
For common people, the entrance opens at 3 p.m., before the ball is lit up and lifted into place at 6 p.m. The 60-second countdown will start at 11:59 p.m., and the confetti will fly just the moment it turns, 12:00 a.m.
So, New York City is getting ready to bring in New Year's Eve 2026 with the ball drop countdown in Times Square, and reports say that when the clock strikes midnight, it is likely to be the coldest in eight years.
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