The New Year's Eve landmark in New York City where a ball descends at midnight is Times Square.
The Times Square Ball Drop began on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908. Publisher Adolph Ochs organized the celebration for the New York Times after the newspaper moved its headquarters to the newly named Times Building, now One Times Square. The original ball was made of iron and wood and lit with one hundred 25-watt bulbs.
The ceremony has continued, with interruptions during wartime blackouts in 1942 and 1943. Modern versions are illuminated with thousands of LED lights and covered with Waterford crystal panels. The ball is lowered from the flagpole atop One Times Square during the final minute of the year.
A common mix-up is calling the event the “New York ball drop” without identifying the location. Times Square is the public gathering place; One Times Square is the building from which the ball is lowered.