What name is given to the worldwide stock-market collapse on October 19, 1987?

The worldwide stock-market collapse on October 19, 1987, is called Black Monday.

The crash began in Hong Kong and spread westward through Europe before reaching the United States. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 508 points, or 22.6%, in one trading day, the largest one-day percentage decline in its history. Markets in several countries also recorded extraordinary losses.

Several factors contributed, including high interest rates, concerns about trade deficits, and computerized portfolio-insurance strategies that automatically sold falling assets. These automated trades intensified the downward movement, although no single cause explains the entire crash.

Black Monday is often confused with the 1929 U.S. crash dates, especially Black Tuesday. Unlike 1929, the 1987 collapse did not lead to a decade-long economic depression. Central banks supplied liquidity, and many markets recovered relatively quickly.