Watch New York City ring in 2020

Thousands of hardy merrymakers braved the weather and watched the glowing New Year's Eve ball complete its midnight descent.

The tradition of watching a giant ball drop from a pole on top of the narrow building at the head of Times Square in midtown Manhattan began in 1907. The orb is a Waterford crystal ball.

For the multitudes who gathered in the famed midtown Manhattan crossroads, the thrilling moment was reward for enduring hours of standing amid tight security.