The first New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square took place in 1904.
The event was held on December 31, 1904, to celebrate the opening of The New York Times’ new headquarters at One Times Square, then called the Times Building. A midnight fireworks display was launched from the building’s roof as crowds gathered to welcome 1905. Nearly 200,000 people attended, turning the location into a major New Year’s destination.
This celebration came before the famous ball drop. Fireworks were used for the first several events, but city officials later restricted fireworks launched directly over crowds because of safety concerns. That change led organisers to seek a different spectacle.
The ball drop debuted on December 31, 1907, welcoming 1908. Thus, 1904 marks the beginning of Times Square’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, while 1907 marks the beginning of the ball-drop tradition. Confusing those two dates is the most common mistake.