History of Nasdaq Composite in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 18, 2026

The NASDAQ Composite is a prominent stock market index encompassing nearly all stocks listed on the Nasdaq exchange. It's among the most closely watched indices in the U.S., alongside the Dow Jones and S&P 500. A significant portion of the NASDAQ Composite is composed of information technology companies. The Nasdaq-100, featuring the 100 largest non-financial firms within the Composite, represents approximately 80% of the index's total weighting.

1971: Nasdaq Composite Launched

In 1971, the Nasdaq Composite was launched with a starting value of 100.

1991: Japanese Asset Price Bubble

In 1991, the Japanese Nikkei 225 reached a peak price-earnings ratio of 80 during the Japanese asset price bubble.

July 17, 1995: Nasdaq Composite Closes Above 1,000

On July 17, 1995, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 1,000 for the first time, marking a significant milestone.

1995: Nasdaq Composite Rise Begins

In 1995, the Nasdaq Composite began a period of rapid growth, rising significantly during the dot-com bubble.

1999: Qualcomm's Share Value Soars

In 1999, Qualcomm's shares rose 2,619% in value. Also in 1999, twelve other large-cap stocks rose over 1,000% in value, and seven additional large-cap stocks rose over 900% in value.

March 9, 2000: Last Time Closed Above 5,000

March 9, 2000, was the date before March 2, 2015 that the Nasdaq Composite closed above 5,000.

March 10, 2000: Nasdaq Composite Reaches Peak

On March 10, 2000, the Nasdaq Composite peaked at 5,132.52 before declining significantly.

September 7, 2000: First Time Closed Over 4,000

September 7, 2000, was the date before November 26, 2013 that the Nasdaq Composite closed over 4,000.

2000: Peak of the Dot-Com Bubble

Between 1995 and 2000, coinciding with the peak of the dot-com bubble, the Nasdaq Composite experienced a 400% increase.

January 24, 2001: Highest Point on Index

January 24, 2001, was the point that the index reached its highest point before reaching the level again on October 31, 2007.

October 10, 2002: Bottom of Bear Market Trend

On October 10, 2002, the Nasdaq Composite hit the bottom of the bear market trend, reaching an intra-day low of 1,108.49.

October 2002: Significant Drop from Peak

By October 2002, the Nasdaq Composite had fallen 78% from its peak reached in March 2000.

March 24, 2003: Worst Single-Session Percentage Decline

March 24, 2003, the date of the worst single-session percentage decline before September 15, 2008.

2004: Nasdaq Composite Eligibility Criteria

In 2004, a security's U.S. listing had to be exclusively on the Nasdaq stock market to be eligible for inclusion in the Nasdaq Composite, unless dually listed on another U.S. market prior to 2004 and has continuously maintained such listing.

May 2007: Remained Down At Least 50%

The Nasdaq Composite remained down at least 50% until May 2007 after reaching its lowest value in October 2002.

October 9, 2007: Nasdaq Composite Closes Above 2,800

On October 9, 2007, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 2,800.

October 31, 2007: Index Reaches Highest Point Since January 2001

On October 31, 2007, the Nasdaq Composite reached an intra-day level of 2,861.51, the highest point since January 24, 2001.

February 6, 2008: Index Trades Below 2,300

On February 6, 2008, the Nasdaq Composite was trading below 2,300.

September 15, 2008: Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy Leads to Drop

On September 15, 2008, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers caused the Nasdaq Composite to drop by 3.6%, the worst single-session percentage decline since March 24, 2003.

September 29, 2008: Significant Drop Beneath 2,000

On September 29, 2008, the Nasdaq Composite fell nearly 200 points, or 9.14%, to fall beneath 2,000.

October 13, 2008: Index Gained Nearly 200 Points

On October 13, 2008, the Nasdaq Composite gained nearly 200 points, more than 11%.

March 9, 2009: Six-Year Intra-Day Low

On March 9, 2009, the Nasdaq Composite reached a six-year intra-day low of 1,265.52.

2009: United States Bear Market

In 2009, the index fell in the United States bear market of 2007–2009.

2012: Year-End Closing Value

In 2012, the Nasdaq Composite closed at 3,019.51.

November 26, 2013: Closes Above 4,000 Since September 2000

On November 26, 2013, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 4,000 for the first time since September 7, 2000.

December 31, 2013: New Record Annual Close

On December 31, 2013, the Nasdaq Composite set a new record annual close of 4,176.59.

March 2, 2015: Closes Above 5,000 Since March 2000

On March 2, 2015, the Nasdaq Composite closed above 5,000 for the first time since March 9, 2000.

April 23, 2015: New Record Closing High

On April 23, 2015, the Nasdaq Composite set a new record closing high for the first time in 15 years.

January 2, 2018: Crosses 7,000 Intraday

On January 2, 2018, the Nasdaq Composite crossed 7,000 intraday.

December 24, 2018: Yearly Low

By December 24, 2018, the Nasdaq Composite had plunged to its yearly low at 6,192.

2019: Index Rose

In 2019, the Nasdaq Composite rose 35.2%, closing for the year at 8,972.60 points.

March 23, 2020: Low During Stock Market Crash

During the 2020 stock market crash, on March 23, 2020, the Nasdaq Composite hit a low of 6,860.

June 9, 2020: Traded Above 10,000

On June 9, 2020, the Nasdaq Composite traded above 10,000 for the first time.

August 6, 2020: New All-Time High

On August 6, 2020, the Nasdaq Composite reached a new all-time high above 11,000 and managed to close for the year at 12,888 points.

2021: Milestones in Closing Value

In 2021, the Nasdaq Composite reached the milestones of closing above 13,000 and 14,000 in January and February respectively, and in November it closed above 16,000 for the first time.

2022: Index Plunged

In 2022, the Nasdaq Composite plunged, reaching an intraday low on June 16 at 10,565.14 and closed the first half of the year down 29.74%, the worst first half of the year in its history.