On August 26, 1895, the Adams Power Plant at Niagara Falls roared to life, generating alternating current (AC) electricity and effectively sealing Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse's victory in the War of the Currents. Thomas Edison had fiercely championed direct current (DC), a standard severely throttled by short transmission ranges and localized generators. However, Niagara’s massive turbines paired with Tesla’s polyphase AC design proved that high-voltage power could be stepped up, transmitted across long distances with minimal loss, and stepped down safely for consumer use. Within a year, Niagara's current illuminated Buffalo, twenty miles away, establishing the foundational architecture for the modern global electrical grid. It was the crucial pivot from localized power pockets to the ubiquitous infrastructure that fuels our digital civilization today.