Which 2020 crash followed the global spread of COVID-19 and included the fastest bear market in history?

The 2020 market collapse caused by the global spread of COVID-19 was the COVID-19 stock-market crash.

As governments introduced travel restrictions, business closures, and social-distancing measures, investors rapidly revised expectations for corporate earnings and economic activity. Major stock indexes fell sharply during February and March 2020. The S&P 500 entered a bear market on March 12, 2020, after dropping at least 20 percent from its record high.

The decline was unusually fast. The S&P 500 reached its pandemic-era low on March 23, 2020, after extraordinary volatility and several trading halts. Central banks and governments then announced large monetary and fiscal interventions, helping markets rebound even while the real economy remained severely disrupted.

The crash was part of a wider health and economic crisis, not merely a financial event. It is often discussed alongside the COVID-19 recession, but the stock-market crash refers specifically to the rapid fall in share prices.