The year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday is underway. In New York City, the iconic Times Square Ball was relit in red, white and blue and raised again shortly after midnight. For the first time ever, the ball will drop outside of New Year’s Eve this year when a Fourth of July countdown is held in Times Square on July 3rd.
Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., the Washington Monument lit up with a 17-minute projection show telling the story of America. The display will continue nightly through Monday.