The ball drop in Times Square has a rich history behind it.

Each New Year’s Eve, a sea of people gather in New York City to watch the iconic ball drop from the top of One Times Square.

Holding a ceremonial ball drop to signify a specific moment in time actually dates back to the early 19th century. A time-ball was installed at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, in 1833, according to the Times Square official website. The ball would drop every day at 1 o’clock, allowing nearby boats to synchronize their timing instruments.

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN TIMES SQUARE: HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MAKING THE BALL SPARKLE FOR THE BIG DROP

These time balls soon become common at naval academies and observatories and eventually made their way to the United States, according to the site.

The first Times Square ball drop took place in 1907, according to History.com. It was built by New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs, who had been denied a fireworks permit for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Times Square had become the focal point of the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations starting in 1904.

DOES ‘DRY JANUARY’ ACTUALLY IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH?

The first ball weighed 700 pounds and was emblazoned with 100 25-watt bulbs, according to the Times Square official website.

The New Year’s Eve ball drop in Time Square dates back to 1907.
(iStock)

Since 1907, the ball has only not been dropped to commemorate the new year twice: in 1942 and 1943, the site says. Both years’ celebrations were scaled back due to wartime limitations placed on New York City.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The ball drops 10 seconds from midnight on Dec. 31 from the top of One Times Square in New York City.
(iStock)

In preparation to count down to 2023, Waterford Crystal artisans pieced together this year’s ball with 2,688 carefully etched crystal triangles and thousands of LEDs.

Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.