What was the name of the 1980 silver-market collapse involving the Hunt brothers?

The 1980 silver-market collapse involving the Hunt brothers was called Silver Thursday.

Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt attempted to accumulate a huge position in silver, using borrowed money and futures contracts. Their purchases helped push the metal’s price dramatically higher during the late 1970s and early 1980.

Exchange rule changes, tighter lending conditions, and the Hunts’ inability to meet margin requirements contributed to the reversal. On March 27, 1980, silver prices plunged, producing the day known as Silver Thursday. The episode caused major financial stress for the brothers and their business associates.

Although silver is a commodity rather than a stock, the event is studied alongside market crashes because leverage, speculation, forced selling, and changing exchange rules magnified the collapse. It is not the same as the 1970s stock-market downturn.