New York City’s Times Square ball-drop ceremony first took place in 1907.
The first Times Square ball descended on December 31, 1907, welcoming 1908. The event was organized by Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times, after the newspaper moved its headquarters to the newly named Times Square. The original ball was made of iron and wood, decorated with electric lights, and measured about five feet across.
The ball drop replaced a fireworks display that had been used to mark the New Year. Fireworks over the newspaper building had been stopped because city authorities objected to the safety risks. The illuminated ball offered a dramatic alternative that could be seen by the large crowd gathered in the square.
The ceremony has continued with interruptions and redesigns. Wartime blackout restrictions suspended the public lighting in 1942 and 1943, when crowds observed a moment of silence instead. The modern ball is much larger, brighter, and technologically more elaborate than the 1907 original.