NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31: A view of the ball dropping during New Year's Eve 2017 in Times Square at Times Square on December 31, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
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The Times Square ball drop has been a New York tradition for over 100 years

Welcoming a new year in Times Square wouldn't be the same without the famous ball drop. CNN explores the history of this eye-catching ritual.

1:31 • Source: CNN
New Year's Eve 2025 11 videos
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31: A view of the ball dropping during New Year's Eve 2017 in Times Square at Times Square on December 31, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
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The Times Square ball drop has been a New York tradition for over 100 years
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This photograph taken on September 12, 2025 above Gletsch, in the Swiss Alps, shows two tourists facing the Rhone Glacier melting into its glacial lake. Switzerland's glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have shed a quarter of their mass in the past decade alone, a study warned amid concerns the melt is accelerating. In 2025, glacial melting in Switzerland was once again "enormous", the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) network said, adding it was close to the record set in 2022.
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Do your vacation plans always leave you exhausted? Here’s how to fix that
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'You are not alone': Anderson Cooper gives heartfelt message about grief on New Year's Eve
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Sticking to your New Year's resolution
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See Andy and Anderson's best moments from New Year’s Eve
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Andy Cohen's parents confess they 'haven't been watching' New Year's Eve show
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Andy and Anderson take a shot with Stephen Colbert
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Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen were given puppets of each other on New Year's Eve. Chaos ensues
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Anderson, Andy and celebs share their New Year's resolutions
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CNN rings in 2026 around the world
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Man fulfills 50-year bucket list item to be in Times Square for New Year's Eve
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