Which New Year’s Eve event in New York City began in 1904 as a fireworks celebration?

The Times Square celebration in New York City began in 1904 as a fireworks celebration.

The event was organized to mark the opening of the headquarters of The New York Times in the newly named Times Square, then called Longacre Square. A fireworks display was held on December 31, 1904, attracting a large public crowd.

Fireworks were later replaced by a time ball. The first Times Square Ball descended on December 31, 1907, creating the tradition associated with the site today. The ball drop was suspended during wartime blackouts in 1942 and 1943, when crowds observed a moment of silence instead.

The 1904 origin is often confused with the start of the ball drop itself. The celebration began in 1904, but the illuminated ball tradition began three years later. Times Square is now one of the world’s best-known New Year gathering places.