This was a problem for sailors, whose timepieces often got D calibrated at sea.

In the early 18 hundreds, an official in the Royal Navy suggested using a visual on shore.

So they put a ball on top of a flag and raised up a second ball a few minutes before 12 when light passed between the two sailors set their clocks to new, eventually self winding clocks and other new tech made these time balls unnecessary.

Fast forward.

A few years, The New York Times relocates to what is now Times Square to celebrate.

They decided to throw a party on New Year's Eve.

Before then, New Yorkers gathered at Trinity Church, where people would throw bricks in the air like confetti, so the times opted for fireworks instead.

But a couple years later, City banned the display.

Tasked with finding an even safer celebration.

Newspaper found inspiration in those old naval time balls.

In 1907 a £700 ball of wood and iron outfitted with 125 watt light bulbs, was lowered.

Touring in the tradition was born Since then, we've only gone without the ball twice.

That was in 1942 and 1943 when the government was worried the bright lights could be a target during World War Two, so chimes were used instead.