The March 12, 2020 global stock-market plunge during the COVID-19 crash was nicknamed Black Thursday.
Markets fell sharply as investors responded to the rapid spread of COVID-19, travel restrictions, business shutdowns, and growing expectations of a worldwide economic contraction. The European Central Bank’s policy announcement that day also disappointed some investors, adding to market stress.
In the United States, the S&P 500 fell more than 9%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 2,300 points. Trading halts known as circuit breakers were triggered during the broader episode as exchanges attempted to slow disorderly selling.
Black Thursday is easy to confuse with Black Monday, another major crash label. In 2020, Black Monday usually referred to March 9, while Black Thursday referred to March 12. The crash was followed by an unusually rapid rebound after extensive fiscal and monetary support.