Charles Dow was an American journalist and co-founder of Dow Jones & Company, which is known for its financial news and information services. He is best known for creating the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) in 1896, a stock market index that tracks the performance of 30 large publicly traded companies in the United States. This index has become a key indicator of the overall health of the stock market. In addition to his work on the DJIA, Dow was a pioneer in financial journalism. He co-created the Wall Street Journal, which has become one of the most respected financial publications in the world. His contributions to finance and journalism have had a lasting impact on how investors and the public understand the stock market.