One of the world’s most popular cities for New Year’s Eve celebrations is New York City and more specifically, Times Square. A city of sights, sounds, entertainment and the Times Square Ball, which is the centrepiece of every New Years Eve.
How Did The World Famous Ball Drop End Up In Times Square
With plans to erect their new headquarters at Longacre Square in 1903, The New York Times newspaper was poised to open the city’s second-tallest structure. Adolph Ochs, the paper’s owner, decided to celebrate the paper’s debut on December 31st, 1903, with a midnight fireworks display on the building’s top.
On New Year’s Eve, Ochs wanted a grander show at the building to draw more attention to Times Square after four years of New Year’s Eve fireworks displays. One Times Square engaged an electrician to build an illuminated ball that would be lowered from the flagpole on the roof.
Despite its size, the iron Ball was just 5 feet across and on New Year’s Eve 1907, on the stroke of midnight, the first drop occurred and the rest is history. So despite moving its headquarters, the New Year’s Eve event at One Times Square is still a major focal point and huge tourist attraction for people from all around the world.
Is The Times Square Ball The Same One From The Early 20th Century
Over the course of its more than a century-long existence, the Ball has undergone a number of significant alterations. When the original 5-foot, 400-pound iron Ball broke in 1920, a new one was erected in its stead. From 1994 until 1995, another Ball was held, this time with rhinestones and a computerised lighting system that included strobe lights.
There was a brand-new Ball built to celebrate the turn of the millennium. The fourth ball, which weighed 1,070 pounds and was 6 feet in circumference, was adorned with 504 Waterford Crystal triangles lighted by 168 halogen bulbs outside. Strobe lights, rotating mirrors and 432 clear, red, blue, green and yellow bulbs illuminated the night from within.
After being refurbished using light-emitting diodes, it was retired on December 31, 2006.
A Brand New New Years Eve Ball For The Times Square Ball Drop
In 2008, a new design was unveiled in commemoration of the Ball Drop’s centennial and when it was made by Waterford Crystal with a 6 foot diameter, it used LEDs and a computerised lighting pattern to produce 16.7 million different colours with only the power consumption of ten toasters.
However, New Year’s Eve 2009 saw the launch of yet another ball, which is still in use today measuring 12 feet in diameter and has a mass of 11,875 lbs. This Ball has been reconstructed to twice its previous size while maintaining its 2008 design and the flagpole was widened to a new height of 475 feet to suit the new ball.
Preparing For The New Years Eve Ball Drop In Times Square
Preparing the huge crowds from around the world for the most anticipated night of the year is a year-round task, as every new decision and tweak made is in the hope that’s it’s better than the previous year. So now you know it’s brief history and how it came about, what are your plans for New Year’s Eve this year?
Is there a way you can be there in Times Square on the 31st December and a part of the Ball’s history?