At the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York’s Times Square, the ball descends from One Times Square.
One Times Square is the tall building at the south end of Times Square from which the illuminated ball is lowered during the final minute of the year. The building was originally constructed as the headquarters of The New York Times and was known as the Times Tower. The newspaper’s name helped give the surrounding district its modern identity.
The first ball drop took place in 1907, after New York City officials restricted fireworks in the area. Although the building has changed uses and been surrounded by newer signs and towers, it remains the ceremonial anchor of the countdown.
A common mix-up is to associate the event with the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center, both famous New York landmarks with their own holiday traditions. The Times Square ball is specifically attached to One Times Square, even though much of the crowd watches from streets and nearby buildings.