The first modern Times Square Ball Drop welcomed the year 1908 in New York City.
The inaugural descent occurred on December 31, 1907, during the celebration for the arrival of January 1, 1908. Newspaper publisher Adolph Ochs arranged the spectacle to draw attention to The New York Times building and to replace an earlier fireworks display.
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. The successful event quickly became an annual tradition, although wartime blackouts interrupted the public drop in 1942 and 1943.
Today the descent is associated with the final minute before midnight, but the historical year can be easy to state incorrectly. The 1907 date refers to the night of the event; the year being welcomed was 1908.