Which U.S. stock-market crash began on October 24, 1929, with the Dow’s largest point drop at that time?

The U.S. stock-market crash that began on October 24, 1929, was the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

October 24 became known as Black Thursday. Heavy selling overwhelmed the New York Stock Exchange, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded its largest point decline to that date. A group of major bankers then attempted to restore confidence by buying leading stocks, producing a temporary recovery.

The apparent calm did not last. Selling intensified on October 28 and October 29, known as Black Monday and Black Tuesday. Prices continued falling over the following months, and the Dow eventually lost nearly 89% from its September 1929 peak to its July 1932 low.

The crash is widely linked with the beginning of the Great Depression, but the relationship was complex. The collapse reduced wealth and confidence, while bank failures, unemployment, deflation, international debt, and restrictive economic policies deepened the downturn. The term “Wall Street Crash” refers to the market collapse, not the entire worldwide depression.