For the majority of its 300 plus year history the NYSE has been the unquestioned leader in trading in the United States.
During this time there have been many changes in the ways in which stocks are traded and regulated.
There are now many rules and government regulations regarding the buying and selling of stocks.
Data flow through the stock exchange has evolved rapidly from paper and ink at its inception, to the introduction of the telephone in 1878 to the current heavily automated wireless information technology.