NYE: The First Times Square Ball Drop

As we take a breather from full episodes, This Day, That Year rings in the return by asking a simple question: who decided to drop a glowing ball in Times Square? On December 31, 1907, a newspaper publicity stunt became a global ritual. This episode traces how a safety workaround replaced fireworks, how media turned a local event into “world midnight,” and what the ball drop says about tradition, branding, and our endless appetite for fresh starts.