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History ot the New York Stock Exchange

By patrickv

  • Layout of Wall Street

    Layout of Wall Street
    Surveyers placed the site of "Wall Street" along the old stockade put up in 1653

  • The Beginning

    The Beginning
    Twenty-four brokers and merchants met on Wall Street to sign the Buttonwood Agreement. This document agreed to trade securities on a commision basis. This was the official start of the NYSE.

  • The Great Fire

    The Great Fire
    The Great Fire destroys over 700 buildings in New York City. To be safe, the NYS&EB moved to a temporary headquarters.

  • A New Name

    A New Name
    The New York Stock & Exchange Board (NYS&EB) becomes the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE); which is what it still is today.

  • Lincoln Assassinated

    Lincoln Assassinated
    The Echange closed for Over a week after The loss of thePresident.

  • The Stock Ticker

    The Stock Ticker
    The first stock ticker, revolutionized the stock market by bringing current prices to investors everywhere.

  • Moving In

    Moving In
    On April 22, the NYSE moved into its new quarters at 18 Broad Street. The new trading floor, which is still used today, is 60% larger than the previous floor.

  • Black Thursday

    Black Thursday
    On October 24, Black Thursday, stock prices fell sharply with record volume of nearly 13 million shares. Five days later, the market crashes on volume of over 16 million shares -- a level not to be surpassed for 39 years. In popular imagery, the crash has come to mark the beginning of the Great Depression

  • First President

    First President
    The first full-time salaried president of the exchange was William McCesney Martin Jr.

  • Public GAllery Opens

    Public GAllery Opens
    Known today as the Interactive Education Center, the gallery floor was opened to the public this year.

  • Women Working on the Trading Floor

    Women Working on the Trading Floor
    Women are allowed to work on the trading floor of the exchange. This event ends the "men only" tradition.

  • The First Official Woman

    The First Official Woman
    The first woman member of the Echange was Muriel Siebert.

  • Non-Profit Corporation

    Non-Profit Corporation
    The NYSE is incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation.

  • The First Non-US Member

    The First Non-US Member
    Bruno Des Forges became the first non-US member of the Exchange.

  • Dow Plummets

    Dow Plummets
    The Dow Jones Industrial Avg. plunges 554 points on this day, triggering the "circuit breaker" rule for the first time. Trading halted at 3:30 pm.