The Dow Jones Industrial Average has remained the most well known barometer of market performance. Starting out with only industrial stocks, the Dow now includes non-industrial companies as well.

On this day, July 3rd, in 1884, the Dow Jones and Company published its first stock average.

The first list included nine railroad companies and two industrial stocks. Then, Dow averaged their prices by dividing by 11 to produce a general stock market average. In succeeding years, Dow refined the list after receiving complaints that the average did not represent the overall market.