On what date did Lehman Brothers file for bankruptcy, intensifying the 2008 financial crisis?

Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008, intensifying the global financial crisis.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a major U.S. investment bank with deep involvement in mortgage-related securities. After the U.S. housing market weakened, losses on subprime mortgages and related financial products damaged the firm’s balance sheet and undermined investor confidence.

The bankruptcy filing was the largest in U.S. history at that time. Its failure caused severe stress in credit markets because banks and other institutions were uncertain about their exposure to Lehman and to one another. The crisis soon spread through global financial systems and contributed to a sharp economic downturn.

The event was important, but it was not the only cause of the Great Recession. Earlier housing-market losses, excessive leverage, complex securities, weak risk management, and fragile funding markets had already created serious vulnerabilities. Governments and central banks responded with emergency lending, guarantees, rescues, and stimulus measures.