Here is the history of Times Square. The first rooftop New Years celebration with a fireworks display took place in 1904. It was produced by The New York Times to mark their move to new headquarters in Times Square. Also they celebrated the renaming of Longacre Square to Times Square.

The first Ball Lowering celebration atop One Times Square was held on December 31, 1907 and is now a worldwide symbol. In 1942 and 1943 the Ball Lowering was suspended due to the wartime dimout. The crowds who still gathered in Times Square celebrated with a minute of silence followed by chimes ringing out from an amplifier truck parked at One Times Square.

The original New Year's Eve Ball weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet in diameter. It was made of iron and wood and was decorated with 100 25-watt light bulbs. That New Year's Eve Ball is the property of the building owners of One Times Square.

The new Ball is Designed by Waterford Crystal . The Ball is six-feet in diameter, and weighs approximately 1,070 pounds. The Ball is covered with a total of 504 Waterford crystal triangles. Each New Year, 72 of the crystal triangles are replaced with a new design.

The Ball's Lighting & Special Effects is by Con Edison The exterior of the Ball is illuminated by 168 Philips Halogena Brilliant Crystal light bulbs, exclusively engineered for the New Year�s Eve Ball to enhance the Waterford crystal. The interior of the Ball is illuminated by 432 Philips Light Bulbs (208 clear, 56 red, 56 blue, 56 green and 56 yellow), and 96 high intensity strobe lights which together will create bright bubbling bursts of color. The exterior of the Ball features 90 rotating pyramid mirrors that reflect light back into the audience at Times Square. The 696 lights and 90 rotating pyramid mirrors are computer controlled, enabling the Ball to produce a state-of-the-art light show of eye-dazzling colorful patterns and a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.