The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a historic and widely followed stock market index composed of 30 large, publicly traded U.S. companies. Established in 1896 by Charles Dow and Edward Jones, it was created to provide a snapshot of the performance of major American industries. Today, the Dow includes household names like Apple, Boeing, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s, spanning sectors such as technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer goods.