The 1987 crash day when global stock markets suffered their most famous synchronized plunge was called Black Monday.
Black Monday occurred on October 19, 1987. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22.6%, while other major markets also recorded enormous losses. Hong Kong’s market fell first in the sequence, and selling then spread through Europe and North America as investors reacted to developments across time zones.
The international nature of the decline was notable because modern electronic communication and increasingly connected financial markets allowed information and orders to travel quickly. Program trading may have accelerated selling, although the crash had multiple contributing factors.
Black Monday is sometimes confused with October 28, 1929, which is also called Black Monday, or October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. The year is therefore essential when using the name. In stock-market history, “Black Monday” most commonly refers to the global crash of 1987.