The now-ubiquitous New Year’s Eve countdown is a joyful tradition, marking a fresh start.
However, this celebratory custom’s origins are rooted in the anxieties of the Cold War era. With the ever-present threat of nuclear war, the hope for a peaceful new year held profound significance for many Americans.
Historian Alexis McCrossen points to 1957 as the likely starting point, with radio personality Ben Grauer’s countdown in Times Square.
“’58 is on its way, 5-4-3-2-1,” Grauer announced. “The ball is starting to slide down the pole, and it is the signal that ’58 is here.”
Americans were already familiar with countdowns from rocket launches and atomic bomb tests, a practice introduced with the first atomic bomb test in 1947. Countdowns also featured prominently in popular culture; McCrossen cites a 1957 TV program featuring a countdown to a bomb detonation, and the 1929 film Woman in the Moon, which depicted a countdown to a rocket launch, as potentially influencing German rocket scientists involved in the space program post-WWII.
Before 1957, while New Year’s celebrations often occurred at midnight, widespread public countdowns weren’t documented. Germans, for instance, celebrated at midnight in the 19th century, and some Christians attended New Year’s Eve prayer services. While private countdowns were possible, McCrossen’s research, based on historical media, lacks evidence of widespread public participation before Grauer’s broadcast.
Grauer continued his countdowns into the 1960s, followed by Dick Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in the 1970s. McCrossen’s research indicates that widespread public participation in the countdown only emerged around 1979, likely influenced by radio and television broadcasts.
Today, countdowns are used for various purposes, from New York City’s “Climate Clock” counting down to a zero-emissions target to personal milestones. As McCrossen notes, countdowns are used to mark “transformative” events.