The first major US stock-market plunge of the 2020 COVID-19 crash on 9 March was nicknamed Black Monday.
On that date, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2,013.76 points, or 7.79%, while the S&P 500 dropped 7.60%. The declines triggered automatic 15-minute trading halts, known as circuit breakers, designed to slow panic selling and give investors time to assess information.
The sell-off reflected growing concern about the spread of COVID-19 and a simultaneous collapse in oil prices after disagreements among major oil producers. These shocks arrived after markets had already experienced substantial volatility, making the March 9 move the first of several dramatic sessions.
The name can cause confusion because “Black Monday” is also used for the worldwide crash of 19 October 1987. In 2020, the term referred specifically to the March 9 plunge; further severe sessions followed on March 12 and March 16. The 2020 crash was unusually rapid, but markets later rebounded strongly after monetary, fiscal, and public-health responses.