The first Times Square Ball was lowered from One Times Square in New York City in 1907.
One Times Square was built for the New York Times after the newspaper moved its headquarters there. The surrounding area became known as Times Square, replacing the earlier name Longacre Square. The building's prominent flagpole provided a visible location for the new midnight spectacle.
Adolph Ochs, the newspaper's publisher, arranged the first ball drop for December 31, 1907. The event replaced an earlier fireworks tradition connected with the newspaper's New Year's celebrations and quickly became an annual custom.
The building is sometimes called the New York Times Building because of its original association with the newspaper, but that name can create confusion with the later headquarters at 620 Eighth Avenue. The specific building for the first ball drop was One Times Square, at the southern end of the square.