What date is known as Black Tuesday, the largest one-day sell-off of the 1929 Wall Street Crash?

Black Tuesday, the largest one-day sell-off of the 1929 Wall Street Crash, occurred on October 29, 1929.

On that day, about 16 million shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, a record at the time. Prices collapsed as investors rushed to sell, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 12%. The selling followed Black Thursday on October 24 and the severe decline on Black Monday, October 28.

The crash did not cause the Great Depression by itself, but it severely damaged confidence and reduced household and business wealth. Banks, companies, and investors were exposed to falling share prices, while economic problems had already been developing.

A common mix-up is treating Black Tuesday as the entire crash. The Wall Street Crash unfolded over several days in October 1929, and the Dow did not reach its ultimate low until July 1932.