• General Electric was an icon of American innovation and manufacturing for most of its history.
• The company reached its peak in 2000, but had a rocky journey entering the 21st century.
• In April, GE finished splitting its remaining divisions into three stand-alone, publicly traded companies.

Over the course of the 20th century, General Electric grew into a powerhouse — literally — of American industry.

Founded by Thomas Edison, the company expanded into everything from appliances to broadcasting, jet engines to computing. It became a household name for millions of consumers.

But a series of financial missteps in the early 21st century shook GE to its core, and it announced that it would break up its operations into three separate companies. That process concluded on April 2, 2024, with all three of its separate entities now publicly trading on exchanges.