Which newspaper organized the first Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop in 1907?

The New York Times organized the first Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop in 1907.

The newspaper moved its offices to a new skyscraper in what was then Longacre Square and helped persuade the city to rename the area Times Square. To publicize the headquarters, the paper held a New Year's Eve celebration featuring fireworks in 1904 and then introduced the illuminated ball drop in 1907.

The first ball was made of iron and wood, decorated with electric lights, and lowered from a flagpole. It was designed by Artkraft Strauss, whose company also handled the lowering mechanism. The event quickly became an annual symbol of the newspaper's connection to the district.

The ball drop later survived changes in ownership, technology, and urban design. The building remains known as One Times Square, while the annual event has grown into a global broadcast watched by audiences far beyond New York City.