The electric grid
Pearl Street lights the first city block
See it on the timeline →In depth
Pearl Street Station supplied 85 customers with direct current. The current war against Westinghouse and Tesla was won by alternating current, which can be stepped up for long-distance transmission. Electrification reshaped the factory floor from a single central shaft to individually driven machines, extended the working day, and made refrigeration, radio and lifts possible — and with them tall buildings and modern cities. Night lights on satellite imagery are now among the most used proxies for economic activity.
For children
Edison opened a power station in Manhattan that sent electricity through wires to the neighbourhood. For the first time you could make light without a flame. Within decades the night turned bright in cities around the world — and you can see it from space.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org