Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop Through the Years

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Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop Through the Years

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Russ Brown, superintendent of Times Square, left, checks his watch before hoisting the Times Square ball in 1980, and New York City Mayor Ed Koch, right, gives a "thumbs up" as he flips a switch to test the Big Apple Ball on New Year's Eve in 1980. The tradition of the ball was established in 1907.

AP Photos
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Workmen test lights on the New Year's Eve Ball the day before its descent in 1988.

Marty Lederhandler/AP
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An electrician checks the lights on the ball that will drop in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve in 1991.

Marty Lederhandler/AP
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A workman replaces a bulb on the ball above Times Square ahead of New Year's Eve in 1994.

Mark D. Phillips/AFP/Getty Images
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An electrician checks the connections on the New Year's Eve ball before it's hoisted in Time's Square in 1995.

Jon Simon/AP
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Workers prepare the 180 halogen lamps and 144 Xenon glitter strobes on the 500 pound Times Square New Year ball in 1997.

Jon Levy/AFP/Getty Images
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Sang Lang, the 17-year-old Chinese gymnast who was paralyzed during the Goodwill Games, helps New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani press the button to bring down the Times Square ball in 1999.

Henny Ray Abrams/AFP/Getty Images
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A worker screws in one of the 168 light bulbs in the Times Square New Year's Eve ball in 1999.

Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images
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A worker holds one of the 72 Waterford Crystal triangles installed on the New Years Eve ball in 2000.

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell pose before the ball drops in Times Square in 2004.

Brad Barket/Getty Images
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The Times Square New Year's Eve ball before its debut in 2007.

Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images
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Hillary Clinton reacts to the crowd before starting the New Year's ball drop in New York in 2008.

Seth Wenig/AP
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New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg counts down the moments until 2009 in Times Square.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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The Times Square New Years Eve ball is tested the day before New Year's Eve in New York City in 2010.

Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Lady Gaga appears on stage to start the ball drop in Times Square during the New Year's Eve celebration in New York to ring in 2011.

Charles Sykes/AP
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The 2013 New Year's Eve ball sits during construction prior to its unveiling. The newest ball has 288 Waterford Crystals.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
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