why was there no ball drop in times square
Times Square Ball The original ball was retired in 1920 in favor of a second design; the second ball remained 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, but was now constructed from iron, weighing 400 pounds (180 kg).[51] The ball drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve 1942 and 1943 due to wartime lighting restrictions during World War II.[51] Instead, a moment of silence was observed at midnight in Times Square, accompanied by the sound of church bells[51] and chimes played from sound trucks.