NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Over one million people coming from different countries of the world crowded New York's Times Square late Sunday to ring in 2007 despite weather forecast of a possible shower in the late hours.

    To have a better view of the show, many people came to the square as early as 2 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).

    Two black girls carried a board reading "We are from Chicago." Some said they were from Toronto, Venice, Brazil, Puerto Rico and other corners of the world.

    Organizers handed out thousands of party hats, streamers, noisemakers and "2007" sunglasses with their eyes poking through the zeros.

    The real show started at 9:03 p.m. (0203 GMT Monday), when Toni Braxton performed. CNN's Anderson Cooper hosted a retrospective of Year 2006's news at 10:01 p.m. (0301 GMT Monday), followed by performances by P.O.C., Rascal Flatts, Three 6 Mafia, My Chemical Romance and Chris Daughtry of "American Idol" fame.

    To help usher in 2007, confetti was released hourly from 6 p.m. until midnight, and this year, 7,000 tons of confetti fell on revelers, three times as much as last year.

    At 11:59 p.m. (0459 GMT Monday), mayor Michael Bloomberg started the official Times Square countdown. He was joined by representatives of the various branches of the armed forces who ever served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    They triggered the Times Square ball to start the final 60-second countdown to 2007. Ball began to descent from top of the 77-foot (about 23.5-meter) flagpole at One Times Square, a New Year tradition of 100 years.

    The practice dates back to Dec. 31, 1907 and has continued uninterrupted since then, except for 1942 and 1943 when a wartime requirement that lights be dimmed suspended the ritual.

    The 2007 ball, made by Waterford Crystal, weighs 1,070 pounds (some 485.8 kg) and is covered with 504 crystal triangles, 72 of which feature a new "Hope for Peace" design.

    Midnight was also marked by fireworks.

    "This year, with the new innovations - a capless fireworks - we're able to horizontally fire the fireworks over the crowd without any considerable fallout, without a projectile," said George Zambelli of Zambelli Fireworks.

    Since 1904, Times Square has been the standard-bearer of worldwide New Year's Eve bash.

    Security was beefed up in and around Times Square. Backpacks, large bags and alcohol were prohibited to bring in the core area. Spectators were corralled into viewing sections. When one section had been filled, new arrivals were directed to the next viewing section.

    Police controlled all access to Times Square, closing streets to vehicles gradually beginning at 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT) as crowds filled up Seventh Avenue and Broadway.

    Bloomberg said this week that revelers would be "safer in Times Square on New Year's Eve than any place else."