A Century of Dow Hats

The DJIA first crossed 100 at some point before 1929.

It bottomed in 1932. It took 10 more years to cross 100 permanently.



The DJIA first crossed 1,000 in 1972.

It bottomed in 1974. It took 8 more years to cross 1,000 permanently.



The DJIA first crossed 10,000 in 1999.

At first we thought it bottomed in 2002 and that it took just 1-2 more years to cross 10,000 permanently. No such luck.

We then thought it bottomed in 2009 and that it took less than one year to cross 10,000 permanently. No such luck.

Nobody knows how many years it will be before we cross 10,000 permanently. It is possible that we already have. I wouldn't bet on it though. As of today, we only have a 143.81 point safety margin.

May 25, 2010
Dow 10,000! (An Illustrated History)

Stocks were way down this morning, and the Dow fell below 10,000. That threshold has no intrinsic meaning, but it has this very loaded, emotional history.

The first time the Dow closed above 10,000, it was a really big deal. They made hats, as if the stock market had just won the Super Bowl, or something.

Source Data:
Yahoo: DJIA Historical Prices