What nickname was given to the severe U.S. stock-market decline of October 1987?

The severe U.S. stock-market decline of October 1987 was nicknamed Black Monday.

The name refers specifically to Monday, October 19, 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 22.6%. The fall followed major declines in Hong Kong, Australia, and European markets, making the event an international crash rather than an isolated U.S. episode.

Analysts identified several contributing pressures, including elevated share valuations, concerns about interest rates and trade, and automated selling strategies. Market infrastructure was not designed for such extraordinary volumes, which added to trading stress.

Black Monday is distinct from Black Monday, October 28, 1929, another major day in the Wall Street Crash. The 1987 crash did not produce a depression, and regulatory changes later introduced circuit breakers to slow extreme market moves.