The Times Square Ball is a time ball that has been lowered or "dropped" from the flagpole of One Times Square nearly every New Year’s Eve since December 31, 1907 in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City. The ball (now in its sixth incarnation) is currently made by Waterford Crystal. Since 2009, the ball remains on the flagpole over One Times Square year-round, and is only lowered on New Year's Eve or removed for general maintenance. Every December 31 at 11:59 p.m. EST, the ball descends 77 feet (23 m) over the course of a minute, coming to rest at the bottom of the flagpole at midnight, where a sign lights up with the digits of the new year, as the ball's lights turn off at the same time. Fireworks are then lighted from the building to signal the arrival of the New Year. A fireworks display in Central Park is usually visible from Times Square. While the ball drops, several billboards in Times Square count down into the New Year, most notably, the Toshiba (former Discover Card) screens directly below the ball.
Every year up to one million people gather in Times Square to watch the ball drop, and it is watched on video by 70 million people in the United States. The event has inspired many other droppings across America, such as the Underground Atlanta Peach Drop and The Possum Drop in Brasstown, North Carolina.
