On what date did the S&P 500 enter a bear market during the 2020 stock-market crash?

The S&P 500 entered a bear market on March 12, 2020, during the 2020 stock-market crash.

A bear market is commonly defined as a decline of at least 20% from a recent closing high. On March 12, the S&P 500 closed 9.5% lower, bringing its fall from the February 19 record close to more than 20%.

The crash reflected rapidly rising fears about COVID-19, business shutdowns, travel restrictions and the effect of the pandemic on the global economy. Oil-market tensions and uncertainty about policy responses added to the selling pressure.

The index later reached its closing low on March 23, 2020, before a powerful recovery supported by fiscal and monetary measures. March 9 was another exceptionally volatile session, but the formal bear-market threshold was reached at the March 12 close.