1882day.year
The Pearl Street Station in New York City becomes the first power plant to supply electricity to paying customers.
On September 4, 1882, Edison’s Pearl Street Station in Manhattan began providing electric power to paying customers, launching commercial electricity distribution.
Thomas Edison’s Pearl Street Station, located in Lower Manhattan, started commercial operations on September 4, 1882. Equipped with six coal-fired dynamos, the plant supplied direct current at 110 volts to local businesses and homes. Edison’s system powered around 400 lamps in 82 customers’ premises on its opening day. The success of Pearl Street demonstrated the feasibility of centralized electric generation and distribution. It sparked rapid growth in electric lighting networks across the United States. The station marked the dawn of the modern electric utility industry. Its model paved the way for large-scale power grids that would transform urban life worldwide.
1882
Pearl Street Station
1888day.year
George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak and receives a patent for his camera that uses roll film.
Inventor George Eastman registered the trademark “Kodak” and patented a roll-film camera on September 4, 1888, revolutionizing photography.
Before Eastman’s innovation, photography relied on bulky glass plates that required complicated preparation and handling. Seeking to simplify the process, George Eastman developed a flexible roll-film and a portable camera. On September 4, 1888, he secured a U.S. patent for his design and trademarked the name “Kodak.” The new camera came preloaded with film for 100 exposures, which customers sent back to Eastman’s factory for development. This system transformed photography into a mass consumer activity. The ease of use and affordability opened the hobby to millions of amateurs worldwide. Eastman’s company, later known as Eastman Kodak, became a global leader in imaging technology.
1888
George Eastman
Kodak
camera
1923day.year
Maiden flight of the first U.S. airship, the USS Shenandoah.
The USS Shenandoah embarks on its maiden flight on September 4, 1923, marking America’s entry into rigid airship development.
The USS Shenandoah was the first rigid airship built by the United States Navy, designed for long-range reconnaissance.
On September 4, 1923, she lifted off from Lakehurst, New Jersey, on her shakedown cruise.
At over 680 feet in length, she was the world's largest airship at the time.
The flight tested new helium buoyancy control systems and wireless communications technology.
Although her career ended in a 1925 storm, Shenandoah advanced lighter-than-air research and naval aviation.
1923
airship
USS Shenandoah
1951day.year
The first live transcontinental television broadcast takes place in San Francisco, United States, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference.
The first live transcontinental television broadcast took place from San Francisco during the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in 1951.
On September 4, 1951, television networks achieved a milestone with the first live coast-to-coast broadcast from San Francisco, covering the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference. Utilizing advanced coaxial cable and microwave relay systems, the transmission connected the Pacific and Atlantic time zones in real time. Viewers across the United States witnessed history as diplomats negotiated post-war terms with Japan. This technological breakthrough paved the way for live national news coverage and transformed the media landscape. It showcased the power of television to bring distant events into American homes, accelerating the medium's rapid growth in the 1950s.
1951
San Francisco
Japanese Peace Treaty Conference
1985day.year
The discovery of Buckminsterfullerene, the first fullerene molecule of carbon.
On 4 September 1985, researchers discovered buckminsterfullerene (C60), the first known fullerene molecule, revealing a new form of carbon.
In September 1985, scientists Robert Curl, Harry Kroto, and Richard Smalley identified a novel carbon molecule containing sixty atoms arranged in a spherical structure resembling a soccer ball. The discovery occurred during laser vaporization experiments at Rice University aimed at studying carbon chains. The team named the molecule buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀) in honor of architect Richard Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes. This groundbreaking finding inaugurated the field of fullerene chemistry and expanded understanding of carbon’s allotropes. The unique stability and symmetry of C₆₀ spurred research into its potential applications in materials science, electronics, and medicine. In 1996, Curl, Kroto, and Smalley received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this landmark achievement. Buckminsterfullerene remains a cornerstone in nanotechnology and carbon-based research.
1985
Buckminsterfullerene
fullerene