What date is known as Black Thursday, the first major sell-off of the 1929 Wall Street Crash?

Black Thursday, the first major sell-off of the 1929 Wall Street Crash, occurred on October 24, 1929.

On that day, trading volume surged and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell sharply as investors rushed to sell shares. Large banks and financiers attempted to restore confidence by buying heavily traded stocks, temporarily stabilizing prices. The intervention delayed, but did not prevent, further declines.

The crash continued with Black Monday on October 28 and Black Tuesday on October 29. The Dow had reached a record closing high on September 3, 1929, before losing much of its value over the following weeks. The crash became a symbol of the wider Great Depression, although economic weakness, banking failures, debt, and falling demand also contributed to the depression.

Black Thursday is sometimes confused with Black Tuesday, the later and more dramatic day that is often treated as the crash's climax.