Tuesday, October 29, 1929, was known as Black Tuesday during the Wall Street Crash.
On that day, investors traded roughly 16 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange, then an unprecedented volume. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 12%, intensifying the collapse that had begun in October. Panic selling overwhelmed attempts by bankers to restore confidence.
Black Tuesday followed Black Monday, October 28, when the Dow had already dropped sharply. The crash did not by itself cause the entire Great Depression, but it became its most famous financial symbol. A common mix-up is confusing Black Tuesday with Black Thursday, October 24, the crash’s first major panic day, or with Black Monday in 1987.