Which traditional New Year's Eve event in New York City began with the 1904 opening celebration of the New York Times building?

The Times Square celebration began with the 1904 opening celebration of the New York Times building.

The newspaper moved into a newly constructed headquarters at the intersection then known as Longacre Square. To promote the building and its new address, the New York Times organized a large New Year's Eve gathering on December 31, 1904. Fireworks above the building provided the first major spectacle.

The area was renamed Times Square in 1904 after the newspaper's arrival. After fireworks were prohibited for safety reasons, the newspaper introduced the illuminated time ball in 1907. That ball drop became the central ritual now associated with the location.

The 1904 celebration and the 1907 ball drop are related but distinct milestones. The former established the annual Times Square event; the latter introduced the descending ball. This distinction prevents a common error in dating the ball-drop tradition.