The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 508.00 points on Black Monday, October 19, 1987.
The fall was unprecedented in points at the time and represented a 22.6% decline in the index. It occurred amid international market weakness, rising interest rates, trade tensions, and widespread use of computerized portfolio-insurance strategies.
Selling intensified across markets, and concerns about automated trading and liquidity became central to the official investigations. Unlike the 1929 crash, the 1987 collapse did not lead to a comparable long depression in the United States.
The Dow's point loss should not be confused with its percentage loss. Point values depend on the index level, while percentages allow comparisons across different historical periods.