General Electric became the modern successor to Thomas Edison’s General Electric Company, founded in 1892.
General Electric was formed through the 1892 merger of Edison General Electric Company and Thomson-Houston Electric Company. The new corporation became a major force in electrical equipment, power generation, lighting, aviation, and industrial technology.
GE was one of the original companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average when the index was created in 1896. It remained in the Dow for more than a century before being removed in 2018, reflecting changes in the structure of the modern economy.
The company later separated major businesses, including GE Healthcare and GE Vernova. In 2024, GE’s remaining aviation business adopted the name GE Aerospace, ending the long-running conglomerate structure.