Holidays

Times Square Ball Drop

Holidays
Times Square Ball Drop
Rate this topic

Did you know? The very first ball used in 1907 was made of wood and iron and decorated with 100 little light bulbs. elaborate

Fact 1 of 18

18 facts about Times Square Ball Drop

  1. 1
    People think the ball is dropped by a person pulling a lever, but it is actually controlled by a highly precise computer system synchronized to the atomic clock.
  2. 2
    The very first ball used in 1907 was made of wood and iron and decorated with 100 little light bulbs.
  3. 3
    The Waterford crystal company creates a new design theme every year, such as the Gift of Wisdom or Gift of Happiness.
  4. 4
    The ball has a backup power system so that if the city loses electricity, the party doesn't have to stop.
  5. 5
    The ball drop is broadcast to over a billion people globally, which is a lot of eyes watching one shiny object.
  6. 6
    The ball has been dropped every single year since 1907, except for the two years during World War II.
  7. 7
    Calculations for the descent speed are adjusted for local wind speed and air density to ensure perfect timing.
  8. 8
    The crystal patterns on the ball are cut using light-refracting technology to maximize the brilliance of the lights inside.
  9. 9
    There was a time when the ball was lowered by a complex system of ropes and pulleys handled by six strong men.
  10. 10
    The ball uses a specific type of high-efficiency LED that was custom-engineered to withstand the vibrations of the massive crowd below.
  11. 11
    People sometimes think the ball is a giant disco ball, but it is actually a geodesic sphere structure.
  12. 12
    Before the ball drop, the New York Times newspaper used to celebrate New Year's Eve by setting off fireworks from the roof.
  13. 13
    The ball has been lowered by hand in the past, but it is now controlled by a computer system that synchronizes the drop with the official atomic clock.
  14. 14
    The ball uses over 32,000 LEDs that can create a color palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors.
  15. 15
    The very first ball drop in 1907 was made of iron and wood, weighing 700 pounds and decorated with 100 light bulbs.
  16. 16
    The modern ball is covered in over 2,600 Waterford crystal triangles, which are so fragile that technicians have to wear white cotton gloves just to handle them during the annual replacement process.
  17. 17
    The ball is so well-maintained that it actually has its own dedicated team of technicians who check the thousands of LED modules to ensure not a single pixel goes dark during the descent.
  18. 18
    During World War II, the ball drop was suspended for two years in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime dimout regulations, so revelers observed a minute of silence instead.
Keep exploring

More in Holidays

A Christmas Carol
Rate this topic
Holidays
A Christmas Carol

The term Merry Christmas was already well-known, but the popularity of A Christmas Carol helped make the phrase a standard holiday greeting in the Victorian era. elaborate

Christmas
Rate this topic
Holidays
Christmas

The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree was popularized in the United Kingdom by Prince Albert, who brought a fir tree from his native Germany to Windsor Castle in 1841. elaborate

New Year's Resolutions
Rate this topic
Holidays
New Year's Resolutions

When people make resolutions, they often experience the false hope syndrome, where their expectations for change are unrealistically high and not aligned with their past behavior, leading to an inevitable cycle of disappointment. elaborate

Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Rate this topic
Holidays
Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Ugly Christmas sweater parties became a mainstream trend in the early 2000s after two men in Vancouver hosted a themed party to poke fun at the tacky holiday knitwear they had been gifted by relatives. elaborate

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Rate this topic
Holidays
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

In the early years of the parade, the giant balloons were released into the sky at the end of the event; they were equipped with return addresses and offered rewards to anyone who found and mailed them back. elaborate

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Rate this topic
Holidays
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

The film was written by John Hughes and is based on his own short story Christmas '59, which was published in National Lampoon magazine. elaborate