FACTBOX: Key facts about General Electric Co

(Reuters) - General Electric Co reported an unexpected 6 percent drop in first-quarter profit as the slumping U.S. economy and credit crunch weighed on its financial, industrial and health-care units, and it lowered its earnings forecast for the year.

Shares of the company fell more than 12 percent, dragging down the broader U.S. market.

Due to the vast size and variety of its operations, ranging from aircraft engines to kitchen appliances, GE is regarded as a bellwether of the U.S. economy.

Following are some key facts about General Electric:

* In 1890, Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the light bulb, established the Edison General Electric Company, which later merged with a rival to form the General Electric Company.

* In 1896, General Electric was one of the 12 companies listed on the newly formed Dow Jones Industrial Average, and it's the only original one that's still there.

* Jeffrey Immelt, 52 years old, is GE's current chairman and chief executive. He was appointed in 2000 to replace Jack Welch.

* After retiring from GE, Welch, dubbed as "Neutron Jack" for eliminating jobs at the company, wrote "Jack: Straight from the Gut", a book that became an instant bestseller.

* GE, the second-largest U.S. company by market capitalization, employs about 327,000 people and operates in more than 100 countries.