An estimated 1 million people were expected to cram into the neon-lit district to see the crystal ball drop and countdown to 2013.
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As 2012 winds down with New Year's Eve celebrations, hundreds of thousands of people have gathered in Times Square in New York to ring in the new year – 2013.
It's been an annual gathering since the first ball drop in Times Square in 1907 (the drop was omitted in 1942 and 1943 because of blackouts during World War II). New Year's Eve parties in Times Square date to 1904.
According to the Times Square District Management Association website, about 1 million people were expected to jam into the area to say goodbye to 2012 and watch the 12-foot-wide, 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball drop and herald the start of 2013.
» Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Fact Sheet [pdf]
When midnight strikes, square-inch pieces of paper with tributes to Dick Clark, the longtime TV host of New Year's Eve parties from Times Square who died this year, will be part of the confetti that will shower Times Square.
New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly predicted that Times Square would be the "safest place in the world on New Year's Eve."
For those who can't make it to Times Square and want to watch the run-up to the ball drop, the Times Square website offers this live webcast of the revelry:
Material from The Associated Press was included in this article