Under a massive security cover, up to a million people thronged the Central Manhattan to watch a traditional drop of the crystal ball on the Times Square.

Around 1000 balloons were also released just seconds before midnight carrying the message of Joy, Hope and 2009 inscribed on them.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton along with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg flicked the switch one minute before midnight which sent the famous Waterford crystal ball sliding down on a 60-second journey to ring in the New Year.

The revellers counted the last 60 seconds as the 12,000 pound ball slowly moved down and burst into frenzy when it hit the ground lighting "2009." One ton of confetti also floated down.

People from across the world come to see the ball descending, a tradition which began 101 years ago. It was made of wood and iron and was lit by 100 25-watt incandescent bulbs. The tradition was established by the then New York Times owner Adolph Ochs when the ball was lowered from the flagpole.