Vanguard Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Vanguard 500 Index Fund

Today marks the 50th anniversary of First Index Investment Trust, the fund that would become Vanguard 500 Index Fund. Its creation helped usher in a new era of investing by providing investors with broad market exposure through a simple, accessible approach.

The fund launched on August 31, 1976, and sought to track the performance of the S&P 500 Index, providing investors with a low-cost way to own a broad cross-section of the U. S. stock market.