Newspaper publisher Adolph Ochs introduced the first Times Square ball drop.
Ochs was the publisher of The New York Times, which moved its headquarters to a newly built skyscraper in what was then Longacre Square. The newspaper helped persuade New York City to rename the area Times Square in 1904, and Ochs sought a dramatic event to promote the building and attract public attention.
After the city restricted fireworks, the newspaper arranged a descending time ball for New Year's Eve. The first ball was lowered on December 31, 1907, creating the ritual now associated with midnight in Times Square. The early ball was made of iron and wood and lit by electric bulbs.
Ochs is sometimes confused with later Times Square organizers or with rival newspaper publishers such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. The ball drop originated as a New York Times promotional idea, making Ochs the key individual behind its introduction.