NY Stock Exchange Timeline

  • US Investment Markets Born

    The federal government refinances all federal and state Revolutionary War debt, issuing $80 million in bonds.
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    NY Stock Exchange

  • Buttonwood Agreement

    24 prominent brokers and merchants gather on Wall Street to sign the Buttonwood Agreement, agreeing to trade securities on a commission basis.
  • NY Brokers Form NYS & EB

    The New York brokers establish a formal organization, the New York Stock & Exchange Board( and rent rooms at 40 Wall Street.
  • NYSE Moves into Permanent Home

    The Exchange moves to 10-12 Broad Street, just south of Wall Street. This move, together with subsequent purchases of adjacent land, establishes Wall and Broad as the center of securities trading in America.
  • WW1 Causes Longest Exchange Shutdown

    Securities exchanges around the world suspend operations to arrest plunging prices. The NYSE closes its doors on July 31, and does not fully reopen for 4 1/2 months, the longest shutdown in Exchange history.
  • Women Work on Trading Floor

    Women work on the Stock Exchange trading floor for the first time ending the tradition of men only.
  • First African-American Member

    Joseph L. Searles III becomes the first African-American member of the Exchange.
  • Dow Plummets

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets 554 points, triggering the NYSE's "circuit breaker" rule for the first time. Trading halts at 3:30 p.m.