The 1987 global stock-market crash was commonly called Black Monday after the Dow’s record fall.
Black Monday refers specifically to October 19, 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 22.61%. The crash spread rapidly across international markets, including Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Its speed and worldwide reach made it a landmark in modern financial history.
Several factors were discussed afterward, including automated trading strategies, portfolio insurance, high share valuations, trade tensions, and worries about interest rates. No single explanation fully accounts for the event, and later investigations emphasized the interaction of multiple pressures.
The name can cause confusion because other market crashes also use “Black” day labels. Black Thursday is associated with the 1929 Wall Street Crash, while Black Tuesday refers to October 29, 1929.