The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 20,188.52 on March 16, 2020, during the COVID-19 stock-market crash.
The session was one of the Dow’s worst points in the pandemic sell-off. It fell 2,997.10 points, or about 12.9%, as investors assessed the spread of COVID-19, travel restrictions, business closures, and the likelihood of a severe economic shock.
The 2020 crash was unusually rapid. U.S. stocks entered a bear market in March after reaching record highs only weeks earlier. Trading halts known as circuit breakers were triggered several times as prices moved violently.
Markets later rebounded after enormous fiscal and monetary support, vaccine development, and improving expectations. The March 16 close should not be confused with the ultimate intraday low of the Dow during the crash, which came later in March.