What date did the first modern Times Square Ball drop take place?

The first modern Times Square Ball drop took place on December 31, 1907.

The ceremony was organized by Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times, whose newspaper had moved into a new headquarters in the Longacre Square area. The district was renamed Times Square in 1904, and Ochs wanted a spectacular New Year's attraction to draw attention to the building and its rooftop celebrations.

The original ball was built from iron and wood, measured about five feet in diameter, and was illuminated by electric lights. It was lowered from a flagpole at midnight, creating a highly visible public countdown before radio and television made such events easy to share nationally.

The ball drop was not held every year without interruption. Wartime blackout restrictions stopped the illuminated descent in 1942 and 1943, and the celebration later evolved as the ball was redesigned and the event became increasingly televised. The date is sometimes confused with the 1904 Times Square New Year's celebration, which preceded the ball itself.