History of the Times Square Ball

Blogger: Amber Lemus

7th Times Square Ball
Photo Credit: Jtalvy, CC0, CC

 The dropping of the ball in Times Square has become a New Years icon. This year will make new history for the Times Square Ball, because it will drop twice. The second time in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. 

Since we have new history being made with the ball drop, I thought it would be fun to explore the origins of the celebration that has become so well-known across the globe as a symbol of New York City and the USA.

The New Years celebration in Times Square had begun in 1904 as a way to celebrate and promote the newly finished headquarters of the New York Times newspaper building. The festivities were a hit, but after a few years of fireworks celebrations, the owner of the New York Times, Adolph Ochs, decided he wanted something bigger. It was the idea of the company's chief electrician to build a "time ball" after seeing one used elsewhere. In 1907, Ochs commissioned the Artkraft Strauss company to construct the ball. A young Russian immigrant by the name of Jacob Starr, built the ball out of iron and wood, then adorned it with one hundred 25-watt bulbs. The finished ball was five feet in diameter and weighed a whopping seven hundred pounds. It thrilled the spectators at the 1907-1908 New Years festivities in Times Square. 

Since then, the ball has been lowered every year, except for 1942 and 1943 due to WWII blackouts.

The Millennial Ball (2000)
Photo by: Hunter Kahn (Public Domain) 

In total, there have been nine versions of the ball:

• The original, built in 1907. 
  
  
• A version made entirely of wrought iron with replaced the original in 1920. 
  
  
• A lighter version made of aluminum replaced the four-hundred pound wrought iron ball in 1950. This version weighed only one-hundred-fifty pounds and remained until the 1980's.
   
• In the 80's, the "I Love New York" advertising campaign had launched, so a new ball with red lights and a green stem to look like an apple was installed and remained from 1981-1988.   
  
  
• After 1988, a more traditional ball with the white lights returned. 
  
  
• In 1995, technological updates were made to the ball to include an aluminum skin, rhinestones, strobes and computer controls. 
  
  
• The birth of a new century in 1999-2000 demanded a new ball. It was completely redesigned, this time a crystal ball with the very latest lighting technology combined with traditional materials. 
  
  
• 2007 brought the 100 year anniversary of the New York Times ball drop, so again, updates were made to the ball. The incandescent bulbs were replaced with LED, which gave the ball color capabilities and increased brightness. This one is known as the Centennial Ball. 
  
  
• The owners of One Times Square were inspired by the beauty of the Centennial Ball to create a permanent one that was visible year-round. This new, permanent version is known as the Big Ball and is made of crystal triangles and over thirty-two-thousand LEDs. It weighs nearly six tons.

The most recent Times Square Ball
Photo By Alex Lozupone - Own work, CC

However, on New Year's Eve, a NEW version of the ball will be revealed, celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States. If the celebration's reputation continues, it will be a spectacle to be seen. 

The notoriety of the ball drop has inspired many kinds of "drops" around the world. Sometimes balls, like in Times Square, and other times cultural objects such as the Bermuda onion. To read more about this, you can check out the Wikipedia page here. 

Have you ever been to the Ball Drop in NYC? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. 

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award, Amber Lemus writes enthralling non-fiction for children and adults alike. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior, so her writing is centered around faith, family and history.

She lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with her prince charming and two boys. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberLemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

The Most Famous New Years Resolutions in History

Blogger: Amber Lemus

As we step into a new year, many of us take time to reflect on our goals and aspirations. We make promises to ourselves, our families, and even our social media followers. But have you ever wondered how people in the past approached New Year's resolutions?


Today we're going to explore two of the most famous new year resolutions in history by two great men of God, Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley.

Travel with me back to 1723, when a young Jonathan Edwards, a prominent American theologian and pastor, penned a remarkable set of resolutions. Edwards, only 20 years old at the time, wrote 70 resolutions, ranging from the spiritual to the practical. These 70 heartfelt commitments, written in his own handwriting, would serve as a guiding force for the rest of his life, shaping him into one of the most influential theologians and pastors in American history.

By Henry Augustus Loop after Joseph Badger -
Princeton University Art Museum, Public Domain 

Edwards' resolutions reveal a young man deeply committed to living a life of purpose and devotion to God. He vowed to "live with all my might while I do live" (Resolution 6), to "never do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life" (Resolution 19), and to "never do anything out of revenge" (Resolution 21). He also committed to "never speak anything that is ridiculous or matter of laughter" (Resolution 45), to "never omit anything that is my duty" (Resolution 28), and to "be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality" (Resolution 42).


Edwards' resolutions were not merely a product of youthful idealism; they reflected a deepening conviction that he needed to reform his own life and ministry. Just a few years prior, Edwards had experienced a profound spiritual awakening, which had left him with a sense of awe and reverence for God's sovereignty. His resolutions were, in part, a response to this experience, as he sought to consecrate himself to God's service.



Over the next several decades, Edwards would go on to become a leading figure in the First Great Awakening, a revival that swept across the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. He would preach thousands of sermons, including his famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and would play a key role in shaping American evangelicalism.

A few years after Edwards' did this, another well-known preacher also penned some profound resolutions.

At the end of 1732, Wesley had returned from a disappointing missionary journey to Georgia, where he struggled to connect with the colonists and Native Americans. Despite this setback, Wesley's experience in Georgia had deepened his conviction that he needed to reform his own life and ministry. His resolution on New Year's Day reflected this renewed sense of purpose. On January 1, 1733, he penned this in his journal: "I am resolved to dedicate all my life to God, and to His service." This commitment marked a pivotal moment in Wesley's spiritual journey, one that would propel him toward a life of tireless evangelism, innovative ministry, and unwavering devotion to God.

John Wesley By George Romney
Public Domain

Over the next several years, Wesley's ministry would undergo a remarkable transformation. He would begin preaching outdoors, a radical departure from traditional Anglican practice, and would establish the Methodist movement, which emphasized personal holiness, social justice, and evangelism. Wesley's resolution had set him on a path that would take him to every corner of England, where he would preach thousands of sermons, establish hundreds of Methodist societies, and inspire countless people to follow Jesus.

As we reflect on our own New Year's resolutions, the examples of Edwards and Wesley challenge us to live a life of purpose and devotion to God. What promises will we make to ourselves and to God? How will we strive to live a life that honors Him? The resolutions of these two great men, penned nearly three centuries ago, remind us that sometimes, all it takes is a simple yet profound commitment to alter the course of our lives. Are we willing to surrender our lives, our plans, and our desires to His purposes?


Will you be making any resolutions this year? I'd love to hear them in the comments.


Happy New Year, everyone!

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!