What was the approximate duration of the 2010 United States “flash crash”?

The 2010 United States flash crash lasted about 36 minutes.

On May 6, 2010, major U.S. stock indexes suddenly plunged and then recovered much of the loss within a short period. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell roughly 1,000 points, an extraordinary intraday move for that era.

Investigations focused on automated trading, liquidity conditions, and a large order in E-mini S&P 500 futures. The event demonstrated how electronic markets could accelerate both selling and recovery.

The crash did not last for an entire trading day, although its effects were severe while it unfolded. Several individual securities recorded bizarre temporary prices, leading exchanges to cancel some trades. Later regulatory changes introduced safeguards such as circuit breakers and clearer rules for extreme volatility.