Which annual New Year's Eve event in New York City began its ball-drop tradition in 1907?

The New York City Times Square celebration began its ball-drop tradition in 1907.

The first Times Square Ball descended on December 31, 1907, welcoming 1908. The event replaced earlier New Year's Eve fireworks at One Times Square after city officials restricted fireworks in the crowded district. The ball provided a safer visual countdown for spectators.

The first ball was about five feet in diameter and weighed roughly 700 pounds. It was constructed from iron and wood and covered with 100 light bulbs. Later balls became larger, brighter, and more technologically sophisticated.

The tradition has continued with interruptions and changes. It was suspended during World War II blackouts in 1942 and 1943, when crowds observed a moment of silence instead. The famous descent therefore began not as an ancient ritual, but as an early twentieth-century adaptation to urban safety and mass media.