On September 4, 1882, Thomas Edison's Pearl Street Station in New York City delivered the first commercial direct-current (DC) electricity to a handful of customers in Lower Manhattan. This marked the birth of the electric utility industry in the United States. The station powered 400 lamps across 85 customers, proving that centralized electricity generation and distribution was practical. Edison's achievement ushered in an era of electrification that transformed cities, industries, and daily life.