A brief history of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop

December 31, 2021

A brief history of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop
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On the last day of each year, it has become a ritual for large crowds to gather in the brightly lit chaos of New York's Times Square to ring in new beginnings. At 11:59 p.m. a dazzling ball descends down a pole, while attendees -- and millions of people tuning in from home -- count down from 60. At the stroke of midnight, the crowd erupts into a cacophony of sound, often pulling their loved one in for a ceremonial kiss.