Like swallows to Capistrano, resellers, publicity seekers and early adopters must needs flock to the nearest Apple Store when a new iPhone is about to be released.
There were line sitters camped outside Manhattan’s Fifth Ave store last week even before the iPhone 6 was unveiled. By Thursday night — 12 hours before the doors on the big glass cube were scheduled to open — the ragged queue stretched across three city blocks.
Update: Friday morning countdowns and a dropped iPhone 6, via YouTube.
Tokyo:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/Z-Zy9TA48OY]
Sydney, Australia:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/I5Onavy5exQ]
Berlin, first out the store with iPhones:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/alFCAN3PQlc]
Dropped: First iPhone 6 sold in Perth.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/7lhXOgJ8ahA]
Below: Queues around the world, 10 p.m. ET Thursday.
Hong Kong:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/KRaNcLeC7X4]
Tokyo:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/RlYlc_WlRXM]
Chadstone, Australia:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/2-ibJPrMwZc]
Berlin:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/cOVJBO-qLfA]
Paris (Louvre):
[youtube=http://youtu.be/QKinoLVfAeg]
Paris (Opera):
[youtube=http://youtu.be/cTOOuuisFiU]
Covent Garden, London:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/EbJea2WP4xU]
Regent Street, London:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/OLYudWAMjE8]
Liverpool:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/LIfRVvMJ3EA]
New York City:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/VToyZo1SalE]
Ingleside Mall, Holyoke, MA (where I am)
[youtube=http://youtu.be/83W12uzkiTc]
Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter at @philiped. Read his Apple (AAPL) coverage at fortune.com/ped or subscribe via his RSS feed.