At the 1907 Times Square New Year's Eve celebration, a lighted ball replaced fireworks as the midnight centerpiece.
The first Times Square Ball drop took place on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908. The event was organized by The New York Times after the newspaper moved its headquarters to the newly named Times Square, then known as Longacre Square. Fireworks had been used for earlier celebrations, but city restrictions led organizers to seek a different spectacle.
The original ball was made of iron and wood, decorated with electric lights, and measured about five feet in diameter. It weighed roughly 700 pounds. Its descent from a flagpole above the Times building quickly became an annual tradition.
The ball has changed substantially over time, including changes in materials, size, lighting, and location. The modern event remains centered on One Times Square, but the first ball was much simpler than today's illuminated Waterford crystal-covered design.