1966-1967 Celebration

The 1966-1967 Celebration was the 63rd New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, New York and took place on Saturday, December 31st, 1966. During this event, the 58th ball drop took place.

## Preparations

Preparations for the event took place days prior. On the evening of December 29, 1966, workers executed a test run of the ball drop and of the lighted ‘1-9-6-7’ display. Wooden barricades were put in place by the following day, and stores and stalls along the Times Square area were closed early, as to be protected from the expected raucous crowd.

Newsfilm capture shows workers preparing the ball, December 29, 1966.

## Summary

As usual, the square was packed with people, mainly the youth. About 200,000 came for this celebration. The crowd for this celebration was known to have been orderly. NYPD Chief Sanford Garelik described the crowds as the ‘best crowd’ he’s ever seen in terms of orderliness. The weather for this evening was an average of about 30.5°F (-0.83°C). Several flares and fireworks bursted throughout the celebration. At 11:59 PM, the ball atop the Allied Chemical Tower began its descent. Flares were set in the crowd, causing red smoke to billow up from the ground while the ball dropped.

The climax of the celebration came when the ball touched the roof of the Tower and spontaneously, a large display of lights with numerals reading ‘1-9-6-7’ lit up, signalling the arrival of the new year.

According to the New York Times, most of the attendants left the square within 10 minutes after midnight.

## Coverage

### Television

This particular New Year's Eve was the first known Times Square New Year's Celebration to be televised in color. This was done by CBS, which covered the celebration beginning at 11:54 pm. Jim Jensen was the reporter for the live coverage.

As usual, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians hosted their New Year’s Eve program this year featuring their music and festivities at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, with the usual switch to Times Square near midnight to cover the celebrations and ball drop there. Their program “A New Year’s Eve Party with Guy Lombardo”, produced by WABC-TV, aired in syndication nationwide for the second year. The Times Square correspondent for Guy Lombardo this year was TV announcer Jack Lescoulie. His vantage point was atop Bond Clothes. Nearing midnight, WABC cameras focused on the ball atop the Allied Chemical Tower as it began its descent and Guy Lombardo from the Waldorf-Astoria counted down to 1967. After midnight, the program switched back to the Waldorf where guests Nelson Eddy and Gale Sherwood joined Guy Lombardo to welcome the new year.

Newspaper spot advertising Guy Lombardo’s program on KCRG-TV Iowa, December 31, 1966.Guy Lombardo special’s end card. January 1, 1967WABC-7 newspaper spot advertises Guy Lombardo’s program, December 31, 1966.Daily News newspaper’s TV listings showing both specials, December 31, 1966.

### Radio

NBC Radio briefly covered the Times Square celebrations on their All-Star Parade of Bands program. Veteran NBC broadcaster Ben Grauer reported the celebrations atop his vantage point at the Hotel Claridge.

## Trivia

* There were some fights that broke out in the Square during the celebrations causing 3 arrests for disorderly conduct.

## Media

* Partial footage of Guy Lombardo’s program, Times Square snippet at 14:45
* LQ 8mm Footage of Guy Lombardo’s special showing the Ball Drop segment
* Image of a TV capture of Guy Lombardo’s special, showing the ball at 11:59:43 PM