Stock Market History Timeline

  • Stockade Erected in Manhatten

    A 12-foot-high wood stockade is erected across lower Manhattan from river to river to protect Dutch settlers from attacks by the British and Indians
  • Wallstreet Laid Out

    Surveyors lay out Wall Street along the line of the stockade
  • US Investment Markets Born

    The federal government refinances all federal and state Revolutionary War debt, issuing $80 million in bonds. These become the first major issues of publicly traded securities, marking the birth of the U.S. investment markets
  • US Investment Markets Born

    The federal government refinances all federal and state Revolutionary War debt, issuing $80 million in bonds. These become the first major issues of publicly traded securities, marking the birth of the U.S. investment markets
  • Meeting Under the Buttonwood Tree

    A group of 24 merchants and brokers gathered on Wall Stree under a buttonwood tree to sign an agreement to trade secutities on a commission basis
  • A New Name

    The New York Stock and Exchange Board changes its name to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
  • Open Board of Stock Brokers Opened

    Open Board of Stock Brokers opens, founded in part by former curbstone brokers. It merged with the New York Stock Exchange in 1869
  • Another New Name

    The New York Curb Market changes its name to the New York Curb Exchange
  • Wall Street Crash

    The Wall Street Crash of 1929 (Black Tuesday/ Great Crash/ Stock Market Crash of 1929) was the most devastating stock market crash in the history, which identified the beginning of the 12-year Great Depression that affected all Western industrialized countries
  • NASDAQ introduced the era of all-electronic trading

    NASDAQ introduced the era of all-electronic trading. With this innovation, NASDAQ attracted new growth companies, such as Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Oracle and Deli
  • First Publicly Traded Exchange

    OM, Europe’s first derivatives exchange (founded in 1985 ) becomes the world’s first exchange that is a publicly traded and listed
  • Black Monday

    Stock markets around the world crashed, shedding a huge value in a very short time
  • Largest EFT in World

    The American Stock Exchange pioneers derivatived trading with the introduction of the first exchange traded fund (ETF): Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts (SPDRs). The fund becomes the largest ETF in the world.
  • Amex Joined NYSE

    The Amex joins the NYSE group of exchanges, enhancing the company’s position in U.S. options, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and cash equities, and offering a leading venue for listing and trading closed-end funds and structured products
  • ISE Acquired by Nasdaq

    International Securities Exchange (ISE) was acquired by Nasdaq, a move that strengthened the company as a premier options exchange operator
  • Nasdaq Announced Nasdaq Adventures

    Nasdaq announced Nasdaq Ventures, a program dedicated to discovering, investing in and partnering with unique fintech companies to enhance its technology and benefit clients
  • Nasdaq Announced Acquisition of Sybenetix

    Nasdaq announced acquisition of Sybenetix, a leading surveillance provider that combines behavioral analytics and cognitive computing with financial markets expertise
  • Forget Stocks

    Investors are putting $2.4 million toward shelter for the homeless
  • Angry Investors

    The maker of Angry Birds has disappointed investors with its first earnings report as a public company with shares that fell over 20%