Which U.S. stock-market crash reached its symbolic peak on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929?

The U.S. stock-market crash that reached its symbolic peak on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, was the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

The crash followed a spectacular rise in U.S. share prices during the 1920s. Buying on margin allowed investors to purchase stock with borrowed money, increasing both gains and losses. The market had already begun weakening before the famous October sessions, including Black Thursday on October 24 and Black Monday on October 28.

On Black Tuesday, roughly 16 million shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, a record at the time. The crash did not by itself cause the entire Great Depression, but it damaged confidence, reduced wealth, and contributed to a wider economic contraction. A common mix-up is treating the crash as a single day's event; the collapse unfolded over several trading days and continued into 1932.