The 2010 market event in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 1,000 points within minutes was the Flash Crash. It occurred on 6 May 2010 during a period of intense uncertainty in global markets.
Major U.S. stock indexes dropped rapidly in the afternoon, with some individual securities briefly trading at extremely low prices. The Dow’s decline was approximately 1,000 points, or around 9 percent, before much of the loss was recovered. The event exposed how automated trading and fragmented exchanges could interact during stress.
Investigations by U.S. authorities concluded that a large automated sale of E-mini S&P 500 futures contributed to the cascade, alongside existing market pressure. Navinder Singh Sarao was later convicted for spoofing activity connected with the event. The Flash Crash led to new safeguards, including circuit breakers and tighter controls on disruptive trading.