Which U.S. stock index recorded the largest single-day point drop in the 1929 Wall Street Crash?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded the largest single-day point drop in the 1929 Wall Street Crash among the major U.S. indexes then followed by the public.

The Dow lost 38.33 points on October 28, 1929, and another 30.57 points on October 29, later known as Black Tuesday. Those figures may look small beside modern point swings because the index level was much lower and the index contained only 30 companies.

The crash followed a speculative boom in American shares, widespread buying on margin, and economic warning signs. The collapse did not by itself create every condition of the Great Depression, but it damaged confidence and exposed financial weaknesses already present.

The Dow is often used as shorthand for the whole crash, although it was not the only market measure affected. The S&P 500 did not yet exist in its modern form; Standard Statistics introduced an early 90-stock index in 1926.