In 1920, a 400 pound ball made entirely of wrought iron replaced the original. In 1955, the iron ball was replaced with an aluminum ball weighing a mere 200 pounds. This aluminum Ball remained unchanged until the 1980s, when red light bulbs and the addition of a green stem converted the Ball into an apple for the "I Love New York" marketing campaign from 1981 until 1988. After seven years, the traditional glowing white Ball with white light bulbs and without the green stem returned to brightly light the sky above Times Square. In 1995, the Ball was upgraded with aluminum skin, rhinestones, strobes, and computer controls, but the aluminum ball was lowered for the last time in 1998.
For Times Square 2000, the millennium celebration at the Crossroads of the World, the New Year's Eve Ball was completely redesigned by Waterford Crystal. The new crystal Ball combined the latest in technology with the most traditional of materials, reminding us of our past as we gazed into the future and the beginning of a new millenium.
( The New Millenium.!!! Ha! Ha! I was perfectly happy with the old one.)
In case you were wondering.......
About "Time-Balls"
The actual notion of a ball "dropping" to signal the passage of time dates back long before New Year's Eve was ever celebrated in Times Square. The first "time-ball" was installed atop England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833. This ball would drop at one o'clock every afternoon, allowing the captains of nearby ships to precisely set their chronometers (a vital navigational instrument).
Around 150 public time-balls are believed to have been installed around the world after the success at Greenwich, though few survive and still work. The tradition is carried on today in places like the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, where a time-ball descends from a flagpole at noon each day - and of course, once a year in Times Square, where it marks the stroke of midnight not for a few ships' captains, but for over one billion people watching worldwide.
Did you know the history of
'THE BALL?'
Everyone Have A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous
NEW YEAR !!!
*credit: times square alliance
www.timessquarenyc.org
Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....
Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Ft.Lauderdale,Design Service, Window Treatments, TurnKey Interior Design Service,Paint selection, Floor-Plans,Online Interior Design,
Design Center of The Americas, D.C.O.T.A.,Times Square Ball, New Years,
I never knew that. How very interesting. Amazing about
ReplyDeletehow long ago it started.
VERY GREAT POST.
Love you
Have a fun New Year.
Mamma
Dear Renee....Much happiness and prosperity to you for 2010! Thank you for your most entertaining and inspiring posts this year!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that info Renee;
ReplyDeleteThe trendy Brookside area in my city is coming up woth a similar type of celebration this year, to drop the ball from Channel 2 news station.
Not Times Square; but a closer to home version.
Happy New Year!
Leslie
Trust us to have started it. I think that we start almost everything !!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful New Year's Eve Renee,and I wish you everything that you wish yourself and family for 2010. With much love. XXXX
Renee,
ReplyDeleteJust love all the history. We are all lifetime learners just hit the blogs and start learning.
Happy New Year, Best of the best to you and yours.
Cheers!
Bette
Had NO idea about the Ball's history. Happy New Year to you too!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you but I am glad we are about to kick this decade to the curb! Always loved the sound of the "naval observatory." It's always filled my brain with images of very intense navel gazing going on under the most serious of scientific protocol. But then I think "I only have eyes for you" is a cyclops love song. When you live in Kansas, you have to entertain yourself! Hope the very best for you for the new year.
ReplyDeleteWarm, woolly wishes for a wonderful 2010, Renee~! ~xx
ReplyDeleteThanks to you, i now know the history behind dropping the ball. New York is in a frenzy of security...
ReplyDeleteEnjoying watching the snow fall at the moment.
Happy New York,
Francine