The General Electric Company, or GE, is a diversified company that offers infostructure, media and finance products and services. The company was originally founded by electrical innovator Thomas Edison in the 19th century and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "GE".http://www.ge.com/company/factsheets/corporate.html GE is listed as the 4th largest company by revenues on the Fortune 500 list of top American companies.http://www.fortunesmallbusiness.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/full_list/index.html It is also listed as one of the most admired companies, ranking as number 1 in electronics and 16th overall according to Fortune Magazine rankingshttp://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2010/snapshots/170.html For the company's innovation focus, it was ranked as one of the world's most innovative companies by Business Week.http://www.ge.com/company/factsheets/corporate.html

As an international corporation, General Electric offers health care, finance, technology, environmental, information and entertainment products. Specific offers include power generation equipment, medical imaging products, business financing, industrial products, security technology, water processing products, consumer financing and media content.http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/general_electric_company/index.html

The General Electric Company is organized into 5 divisions including "NBC Universal", "Technology Infrastructure", "Consumer & Industrial", "Energy Infrastructure" and "Capital Finance".http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/general_electric_company/index.html The company functions in over 100 countries and has over 300,000 employees. For 2009, the company achieved $11.2 billion in earnings and an industrial cash flow of $16.6 billion.http://www.ge.com/company/factsheets/corporate.html

GE continues to push technological innovation throughout their business and have achieved breakthroughs in in aerospace, health care equipment and renewable energy. In 2010, General Electric announced plans to acquire the cancer diagnostic company Clarient, Inc., unveiled a new hydrogen halogen CFL light bulb, inaugurated a wind generator manufacturing facility in Vietnam and acquired sales finance portfolios from Citi retail partner cards.http://www.genewscenter.com/content/default.aspx?newsareaid=2

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GE was originally founded as the Edison Electric Light Company by Thomas Edison in 1878. The company merged with the Thomson-Houston Electric company to form the General Electric Company. The company has roots in innovation, science and consumer products. Involved in a wide range of products, GE has invented products such as the electric light, the x-ray tube, the electric toaster, lab-created diamonds, fluorescent lamps and the first nuclear power plant Several scientists who worked at the General Electric Company have been awarded a Nobel Prize for work performed at the company.http://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html

• 1876: Edison opens the laboratory where he invented the incandescent electric light bulbhttp://www.ge.com/company/history/edison.html
• 1890: Edison General Electric Company establishedhttp://www.ge.com/company/history/edison.html
• 1892: Becomes the General Electric Company and is listed on Dowhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1905: Produces first appliance- the electric toasterhttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1913: Creates the X-ray tubehttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1918: Builds generator for Niagara Falls.http://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1922: Opens radio station WGY using a 1500-watt transmitterhttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1927: Establishes the first home-based televisionhttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1930: GE Plastics department foundedhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1932: GE Credit Corporation is establishedhttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1938: Invents Fluorescent lamphttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1941 Builds first U.S. jet enginehttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1955: Crafts the first lab-based diamondhttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1957: Opens world's first nuclear power planthttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1961: Opens the GE Space Centerhttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 1970: Computer division sold to Honeywellhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1981: Jack Welch becomes CEOhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1986: Reacquires RCAhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1989: CNBC is establishedhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1993: GE Aerospace soldhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 1999: Montgomery Ward becomes a subsidiaryhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 2001: Jeffrey Immelt is named CEOhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric
• 2002: Introduces the first 4D ultrasound unithttp://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html
• 2004: Establishes Genworth Financialhttp://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-General-Electric

• Citigroup
• Siemens
• Royal Philips Electronicshttp://www.hoovers.com/company/General_Electric_Company/rfjyci-1.html

• Energy Services
• Oli & Gas
• Water and Power Energy
• Aviation Technology
• Healthcare Technology
• Transportation Technology
• Financial Products
• Appliances
• Lighting
• NBC Cable, and Filmhttp://www.ge.com/company/factsheets/corporate.html