Which New Year's Eve event in New York City began in 1907 as a celebration organized by The New York Times?

The Times Square Ball drop began in 1907 as a New Year's Eve celebration organized by The New York Times.

Publisher Adolph Ochs arranged the event after the newspaper moved its headquarters to the newly built Times Building, later called One Times Square. A fireworks display had been used for the building's 1904 opening, but city officials later prohibited fireworks there, prompting the newspaper to seek another midnight attraction.

The first ball was lowered on December 31, 1907. It was built from iron and wood, measured about five feet in diameter, and was illuminated by electric bulbs. The visual countdown proved so popular that the newspaper's event became an annual tradition.

The ball drop has continued even though the newspaper no longer owns the celebration. Wartime blackouts suspended the illuminated drop in 1942 and 1943, when crowds observed a minute of darkness instead. The modern event combines the historic descent with music, performances, and a televised countdown.