What is the history of the Dow Jones?
The Dow Jones history goes way back into the 1800’s. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was founded on May 26, 1896. At the time it only represented 12 stocks. Of those original 12 only one, General Electric, is still around. By 1928 the number of stocks increased to 20. By 1928 the number of stocks hit 30. During the Great Depression the Dow was reduced to 90% of its 1929 peak on July 8, 1932. Not coincidentally, the largest one-day percentage gain of 15% happened soon after the 90% big drop on March 15, 1933. However, the 1930s was a terrible decade as the Dow Jones industrial average was cut in half from the beginning to the end of the decade. As can be expected after great declines in the Dow Jones history, soon came the great increases in the 1940s and 1950s. The Dow went from about 40 in 1932 to 616 in the 1950s. The Dow continued to increase into the 1960s and ended the 1960s at about 800. The enthusiasm took the Dow in the early 1970s above the 1000 mark. Thats a growth of about
