On what date did the New York Stock Exchange officially begin operations?

The New York Stock Exchange officially traces its beginning to May 17, 1792.

On that date, 24 New York brokers and merchants signed the Buttonwood Agreement, named for the buttonwood tree traditionally associated with their meeting place on Wall Street. The agreement required the signers to give preference to one another in securities transactions and established a minimum commission, creating a more organized and trustworthy trading network.

The exchange did not instantly become the modern institution known as the NYSE. Trading initially continued informally in locations such as the Tontine Coffee House. In 1817, the brokers adopted a constitution and formally organized as the New York Stock and Exchange Board. That organization was later renamed the New York Stock Exchange.

This history explains a frequent date mix-up. March 8, 1817 marks the formal reorganization and constitution, while May 17, 1792 is the celebrated founding date and the date used by the NYSE itself. The original market dealt in a small number of securities, including government bonds and shares connected with early American banks and insurance companies.