The trading of stocks is a long-established practice, dating back to the 12th century. In France, the “courratiers de change” managed and traded the debts of agricultural communities, making these managers the first brokers.

On this day, December 6th, in 1984, Georgia became the first state to offer the same treatment to NASDAQ stocks as was afforded to stocks on the American Stock Exchange.

NASDAQ, the National Association of Securities Dealers, was founded in 1971 as the world’s first electronic stock market. The American Stock Exchange, or AMEX, was built in 1921 to cater to the emerging railroad and construction industries.