Which date marked Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, a pivotal moment in the 2008 global stock-market crash?

Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, a pivotal moment in the 2008 global stock-market crash, occurred on September 15, 2008.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States after failing to find a buyer or secure a government-backed rescue. With about $639 billion in assets, it became the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history at that time.

The filing intensified the financial crisis because Lehman was deeply connected to banks, investment funds, and the global market for mortgage-related securities. Its failure damaged confidence and contributed to severe falls in stock markets worldwide during September and October 2008.

Lehman’s collapse was not the only cause of the crash. The wider crisis involved the U.S. housing bubble, subprime mortgage losses, excessive leverage, and the freezing of credit markets. The investment bank Bear Stearns had already required a rescue in March 2008.