Which ball-drop celebration was first held in Times Square to mark the start of 1908?

The Times Square Ball Drop was first held in Times Square to mark the start of 1908.

The inaugural event took place on December 31, 1907, when a lighted ball was lowered from the flagpole atop the former New York Times headquarters at One Times Square. The newspaper had moved into the building in 1905, and publisher Adolph Ochs organized the celebration to promote the new Times Square name and mark the paper's presence there.

The first ball was made of iron and wood, measured about five feet in diameter, and was illuminated by 100 light bulbs. The ceremony quickly became an annual tradition. Its design has changed repeatedly, with later balls becoming larger, brighter, and more technologically advanced.

The event did not occur in 1942 or 1943 because wartime blackout rules prohibited the usual lights and public gathering. In those years, crowds observed a moment of silence and listened to chimes instead. The modern ceremony retains the one-minute descent but now reaches a worldwide television audience.