Stock market indices measure a part of the stock market, and they are used to determine the performance of stock portfolios. These benchmark measurements are important to track since the size of the world stock market is estimated at over $36 trillion.

It was on this day, November 21st, in 1995 that the Dow Jones closed above the 5,000 point mark for the first time.

Over time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has become universally recognized. As a result, it has earned the titles of the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or just plainly the Dow. Under any name, however, this stock market index is considered the most important index to track stock market activity in the United States.