The Dow recorded its largest one-day percentage fall since 1987 during the COVID-19 crash on March 16, 2020.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,997.10 points that day, or about 12.93 percent. The decline followed escalating concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, travel restrictions, business closures, and the economic effects of rapidly slowing activity.
Trading was also affected by extreme volatility. U.S. exchanges repeatedly triggered circuit breakers designed to pause trading after large declines, including during the March 16 session.
The 2020 crash developed rapidly after a long bull market. It reached a low on March 23, after which extraordinary monetary and fiscal support, along with changing expectations about the pandemic, helped major U.S. indexes recover.