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Times Square 1930 © AP
On December 31, 1904 the first New Year’s celebration was held in Times Square with fireworks presented by New York Times publisher Alfred S. Ochs to celebrate the opening of One Times Square. Three years later on New Years Eve 1907 Ochs began the ball drop tradition. Times electrician Walter F. Palmer suggested using a time ball like the one atop the Western Union Telegraph building, normally used for synchronizing maritime chronometers.
