One Times Square is the New York City landmark illuminated during the annual Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop.
The building was constructed as the headquarters of The New York Times and opened in 1904. The newspaper's move helped give the surrounding area the name Times Square, replacing the earlier name Longacre Square. The first ball drop followed in 1907 as part of a New Year's celebration connected with the newspaper.
One Times Square is a narrow tower surrounded by large electronic billboards. The ball is lowered from a flagpole near the building's roof, making the structure the visual anchor of the countdown even though the crowds and screens extend across the wider square.
The landmark has undergone changes in ownership, tenants, and exterior advertising over time. The enduring connection is the building's role in the origin and staging of the internationally broadcast ball-drop tradition.