What was the highest the Dow Jones closed at in history?

As of 2015, the record high that the Dow Jones closed at in history was on Dec. 26, 2014, when it reached 18,053.71. The record was the result of the relative strength of the U.S. economy in relation to the economic circumstances in China and Europe that were slowing down.

Despite the record high, the investors didn’t remain confident because the trading volume during 2014 was lower relative to the volume during a period spanning several years earlier. In 2014, there were only three days that saw more than 200 million shares being traded, making the level of trading similar to the one during the late 1990s.