What date marks the 1929 Wall Street Crash’s first major panic day, known as Black Thursday?

October 24, 1929, marks the 1929 Wall Street Crash’s first major panic day, known as Black Thursday.

On October 24, trading volume surged as investors rushed to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Prices fell sharply at the opening and during the session, creating fears that the market’s speculative boom was breaking apart. A group of major bankers later bought selected blue-chip stocks in an effort to restore confidence.

That intervention produced only a temporary recovery. Panic returned on October 28, called Black Monday, and intensified on October 29, called Black Tuesday. The crash continued to damage confidence and was followed by a prolonged bear market.

Black Thursday is not the same as Black Tuesday. October 24 was the first major panic day, while October 29 became the most famous day because of the scale of trading and the broader collapse in prices. The crash was one cause of the Great Depression, not its sole cause.