when did the first new years eve ball drop
1907
title: Times Square text: because of the danger of fire. Beginning in 1908, and for more than eighty years thereafter, Times Square sign maker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering. During World War II, a minute of silence, followed by a recording of church bells pealing, replaced the ball drop because of wartime blackout restrictions. Today, Countdown Entertainment and One Times Square handle the New Year's Eve event in conjunction with the Times Square Alliance. A new energy-efficient LED ball debuted for the arrival of 2008, which was the centennial of the Times Square ball drop. The 2008/2009 ball is larger and has title: New Year's Eve text: is lowered down a -high pole on the roof of One Times Square, reaching the roof of the building 60 seconds later at midnight. The event has been held since 1907, and has seen an average attendance of 1,000,000 yearly. Since 2009, the ball itself has been displayed atop the building year-round. The event has inspired similar "drops" outside of New York City, using either a ball or another item that symbolizes local culture, geography, or history (such as Atlanta's Peach Drop, reflecting Georgia's identity as the "Peach State"). U.S. media coverage of New Year's Eve festivities have historically been title: Times Square Ball text: 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. The ball's design has been updated over the years to reflect improvements in lighting technology; the ball was initially constructed from wood and iron, and lit with 100 incandescent title: Times Square text: Times Square since August 1945 during celebrations marking the end of World War II. On December 31, 1907, a ball signifying New Year's Day was first dropped at Times Square, and the Square has held the main New Year's celebration in New York City ever since. On that night, hundreds of thousands of people congregate to watch the Waterford Crystal ball being lowered on a pole atop the building, marking the start of the new year. It replaced a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building that was held from 1904 to 1906, but stopped by city officials title: Times Square Ball text: drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve 1942 and 1943 due to wartime lighting restrictions during World War II. Instead, a moment of silence was observed at midnight in Times Square, accompanied by the sound of church bells played from sound trucks. The second ball was retired in favor of a third design in 1955; again, it maintained the same diameter of its predecessors, but was now constructed from aluminium, and weighed . In 1981, the ball was modified to make it resemble an apple, by switching to red lightbulbs and adding a green "stem". For 1988, organizers