Dow Jones Industrial Average History

The Dow Jones industrial average history starts in 1896 the year that it was first created by Charles Dow. The index was the second index to be created in the US, second only to the Dow Jones Transportation Index.

Today the Dow consists of the 30 largest and most widely traded stocks in the US. Back in 1896 however it consisted of 12 stocks. Out of the original Dow Dozen only GE still remains on the list.

In fact 106 stocks have been a part of the Dow at one time throughout its rich history.

So, how does the Dow Jones Work? Originally Charles Dow added up all 12 stocks that were a part of the index and divided that number by twelve. Today there is a lot more mathematics involved to make room for things such as stock splits, mergers, etc.

During the first day of its open the index closed at $40.94, over 100 years later it is trading at $13,930.01 which says something about how much our economy grows in the long term.

Here are some Dow Jones Historical Closing Statistics to help give you an idea of how it has grown and fallen throughout the years.

The Dow fell to a low of $41.22 during the great depression causing a drop of over 89%

In 1972 the Index rises 6.09 points to close at $1,003.16 the first close over $1,000 ever

In March 29, 1999 the Index closed at $10,006.78 the first close over $10,000 ever

For a real time look at the Dow, here is a one day chart calculating the move in the Dow every 5 minutes during the trading day.

DOW

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