What is the standard name for the devastating U.S. stock-market collapse that began in October 1929?

The devastating U.S. stock-market collapse that began in October 1929 is called the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

The crash followed years of rapidly rising share prices, widespread speculation, and stock purchases made with borrowed money. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a peak in September 1929 before heavy selling intensified in October. Black Thursday, October 24, and Black Tuesday, October 29, were among the most dramatic trading days.

The crash did not single-handedly cause the Great Depression, but it severely damaged investor confidence and helped deepen the economic crisis. Banks, businesses, and households suffered as asset values fell and credit tightened. The Depression also spread internationally through trade and financial connections.

A common mix-up is treating the crash and the Great Depression as identical events. The crash was a financial-market collapse; the Depression was the broader, years-long economic downturn that followed and had multiple causes.