It was a British Royal Navy officer, Robert Wauchope, who devised the time ball—an innovative 19th-century invention that ultimately inspired New York City's famed New Year’s Eve ball drop tradition. As the final hours of the year approach, over a million revelers will gather in New York’s Times Square, with approximately a billion others tuning in worldwide to witness the iconic annual celebration. During the last minute of the year, all eyes are fixed on a dazzlingly bright, Waterford