The Wall Street crash that helped begin the Great Depression occurred in 1929.
The New York market suffered major selling waves in October 1929, including Black Thursday on 24 October, Black Monday on 28 October, and Black Tuesday on 29 October. Share prices had previously risen rapidly during the 1920s, supported partly by margin borrowing.
The crash destroyed wealth and damaged confidence, but it was not the sole cause of the Great Depression. Bank failures, falling demand, debt, international economic problems, and policy mistakes deepened the downturn during the early 1930s.
The market eventually fell far below its 1929 peak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average did not regain its September 1929 closing high until 1954. The crash is therefore best understood as a major catalyst and symbol of the Depression, rather than a complete explanation for the worldwide economic collapse.