Why did Hillary ring the bell at the opening at the New York Stock Exchange?

[question everything]

I just saw the images, did not hear any explanations, if there were any..

[yurbud]

1. I would ring the bell if I could do it with the head Goldman Sachs CEO...

[leftynyc]

2. If I had to take a guess

UN General Assembly this week - she's Secretary of State - something like that.

[question everything]

5. Makes sense. Except, I thought that usually the heads of companies

that are actually traded there ring..

The U.S. is not traded there, yet, right?

[leftynyc]

Not limited to companies at all

Athletes, celebrities, politicians, etc.

[question everything]

15. Oh, did not realize it.. (nt)

[Captain Hilts]

3. Mookie Wilson did it too. They often bring celebs in to do it. nt

[dionysus]

10. you rang the bell? j/k (if my memory fails me this post makes no sense.)

[Captain Hilts]

14. Mookie Wilson -

[dionysus]

23. i know who mookie is, didn't you use that as a screen name at one time?

[Captain Hilts]

25. Yes, I sure did. I only recently removed that fact from my signature line.

I might put it back in.

Keep up the Good fight!

[dionysus]

26. i have his '86 topps card still somewhere... allthose guys are long gone now :(

[Captain Hilts]

27. I worked in the Mets' AAA ballpark in the early '80s, but got to see him

Backman, Hubie Brooks, Strawberry, etc. play there before I worked there.

Mookie then followed me to Toronto, which was cool.

[dionysus]

28. when i was little i remember the likes of cecil fielder and orel herscheiscer (badly mispelled)

nolan ryan was still playing, molitor, mattingly, kirby, pudge... the good old days. there's maybe one or two ancient guys left i saw playing from back then a few years ago but they must be all done now. the goold old days!

[Captain Hilts]

34. I think Mook has the distinction of being the last bare-handed batter, and no ear flap. nt

[dionysus]

37. the thing i think was ,sad, looking back (just lazy maybe)

we all swung aluminum bats (sandlot). i don't know how they adjust from aluminum bats (college ball) to wood bats. maybe they are titanium, with a good faux wood finish ;)
i tried hitting the same length wood bat as my aluminum when i used to play and the wood bat was like lead.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. Same reason they let sports stars ring it?

:shrug:

[question everything]

16. Apparently. I always thought that the bell ringers

are associated with companies that are traded there.

Apparently not.

Oh well, you learn something every day.

:hi:

[Drunken Irishman]

17. It's all good.

I just know this because every night on the local news they show a celeb or politician or famous citizen who did something special ringing it. :D

[FSogol]

6. A different celebrity rings it every day or

the socialists have taken over! iM SEREIS!!!111

[AngryAmish]

7. dghj

[Captain Hilts]

8. Question something else!

[tk2kewl]

9. .

:D

[GodlessBiker]

11. Because singing was out of the question.

That's what they do there. People ring bells. It's like Christmas every regular business day.

[Captain Hilts]

12. I know a church choir director here in DC. NO, we don't want her to sing...nt

[Cleita]

13. Maybe because daughter Chelsea works for a hedge fund?

Just guessing.

[girl_interrupted]

18. Hillary's appearance coincided with the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly

Thats why she was there, in her role as Secretary of State. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEsV7HbhnQ0&feature=youtube_gdata

[Cleita]

35. Fair enough. Have a nice day.n/t

[onenote]

19. Because she's in NY for the UN General assembly session

http://www.nyse.com/press/1253528968254.html

BTW, its not her first time ringing the opening bell. She rang it as Senator. The practice of having a notable (or sometimes not so notable) person ring the bell has been going on since the mid 1990s. Sometimes its a political figure or foreign dignitary, sometimes its an actor or other celebrity. Sometimes its a busuiness person. Sometimes its a blatant promotion for a movie or event. Sometimes its in connection with "(fill in the blank) week"

AMong those who have rung the bell:

Hillary Duff
Arnold Scharzenegger (before he was governor)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (actor/wrestler)
Michael Strahan (football player)
Petra Nemcova (Swimsuit model)
Mickey Mouse (cartoon character)
Carson Palmer (college football quarterback)
Sarah Jessica Parker (actress)
SpongeBob Squarepants (cartoon character)
The list goes on and on and on.

[tammywammy]

20. Interesting

I too thought it was only people representing companies that rang the bell. I guess I should have been paying more attention all these years. :)

[Shrek]

21. Because the NASDAQ doesn't have an opening bell

I believe that's a tradition unique to the NYSE.

[onenote]

22. actually both the nasdaq and amex have opening bell ceremonies

The NYSE was the first to dole out the bell ringing honors to celebrities, politicians, business people etc. But NASDAQ and Amex do it now as well:
http://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/opening_bell/event.html
http://www.infomine.com/index/pr/Pa303568.PDF

[CBHagman]

24. Ding, ding! We have a winner.

To the other posters on the threads, HRC was taking a tour of the NYSE and ringing the bell is considered an honor. Remember how after 9/11 members of the FDNY were invited to appear to ring the opening bell.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/national/chi-010917wall,0,2514430.story

In honor of the rescue workers searching for survivors and mourning the losses of their own, a group of firefighters, police officers and paramedics rang the opening bell after a moment of silence to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks.

[Jackeens]

29. Because they couldn't hear her knocking?

:shrug:

[onenote]

31. Ba-dump!!

[Beacool]

30. As they already told you, many people have been asked to ring the bell.

Although the one person who you won't see ringing the bell is any sitting president. It's considered bad luck.

[burning rain]

33. You are quite the source of interesting tidbits.

I didn't know about not having the prez do it.

[Beacool]

36. Thanks

Here's a link to the history of the bell, even though it doesn't mention that bit of trivia:

http://www.nyse.com/about/history/1184063074309.html

:)

[IndianaGreen]

32. Time for dinner?

LOL, I don't know since I didn't see it on TV, but one thing for certain is that Wall Street needs some discipline.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

38. She did a fine job of it.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

39. Trying to test that old theory...

that you can "unring" a bell.

Apparently it's true.