when did times square start dropping the ball
Times Square Ball The event was first organized by Adolph Ochs, owner of The New York Times newspaper, as a successor to a series of New Year's Eve fireworks displays he held at the building to promote its status as the new headquarters of the Times, while the ball itself was designed by Artkraft Strauss. First held on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908, the ball drop has been held annually since, except in 1942 and 1943 in observance of wartime blackouts.
Times Square Ball As a public event, the festivities and ball drop are broadcast as part of New Year's Eve television specials originating from Times Square on several major U.S. television networks and cable channels. By far the most notable of these is Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve; created, produced, and originally hosted by the entertainer Dick Clark until his death in 2012, and currently hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy, the program first aired on NBC in 1972 before moving to ABC, where it has been broadcast ever since.[60][61] New Year's Rockin' Eve has consistently been the most-watched New Year's Eve special in the U.S. annually, peaking at 22.6 million viewers for its 40th edition in 2012.[62][60][63] Following the death of Dick Clark in April 2012, a crystal engraved with his name was added to the 2013 ball in tribute.[61]