The New York Times inspired the name “Times Square” after holding a New Year celebration there in 1904.
The area was previously known as Longacre Square. The New York Times moved its headquarters to a new skyscraper there in 1904, and the surrounding district was renamed Times Square later that year. To publicize the move, the newspaper organized a New Year’s Eve celebration featuring fireworks from the building.
The fireworks tradition created a major crowd, but city officials later restricted such displays because of fire-safety concerns. The newspaper’s celebration then evolved into the illuminated ball descent that began in 1907. That sequence explains why the modern ball drop is connected to both the newspaper and the square’s name.
The newspaper eventually moved away from One Times Square, but the building retained its symbolic role. Times Square became associated with theaters, electric signs, Broadway, and large public gatherings. The name therefore comes from the New York Times, not from a generic reference to clocks or countdowns.