Which 2020 stock-market crash produced the fastest bear market in U.S. history?

The COVID-19 crash produced the fastest bear market in U.S. history.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average entered bear-market territory on 11 March 2020, when it closed more than 20% below its February record. The S&P 500 reached bear-market status the next day. The speed reflected the global spread of COVID-19, emergency lockdowns, uncertainty about business activity, and a sudden flight from risky assets.

The S&P 500’s decline from its 19 February peak to its 23 March low took only 33 calendar days. That was the fastest descent into a bear market from a record high in U.S. market history. Trading was halted several times by circuit breakers as daily losses became extreme.

Massive fiscal support, central-bank action, and expectations of vaccines helped markets rebound quickly. The crash was therefore unusually abrupt and its recovery unusually rapid, even though the pandemic caused a severe real-world health and economic shock. It is also called the coronavirus crash.