The first Times Square Ball Drop took place in 1907.
The inaugural descent occurred on December 31, 1907, welcoming 1908. It was arranged by Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times, whose newspaper had moved into the newly built Times Tower, now One Times Square. The ball provided a dramatic public time signal and replaced a fireworks display that city officials had stopped permitting near the building.
The original ball was made of iron and wood, decorated with light bulbs, and measured about five feet in diameter. It was far simpler than the crystal-and-LED spheres used in later decades.
The ceremony has been held almost every year since its beginning. Exceptions and altered formats have occurred, including wartime dimouts during World War II, when the public observed midnight without the usual illuminated descent. The first event therefore predates the ball's modern crystal appearance by many decades.