The Times Square ball was once a 5-foot creation of iron and wood. Now, it measures 12 feet in diameter and is lit by more than 30,000 LEDs.

Organizers of the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration screwed the last crystals onto the ball before it ushers in the new year one last time.

Watching a huge ball descend down a pole in Times Square has been a beloved New Year's Eve tradition for over a century. Here's how the spectacle started and what's changed over the years.