Guide to stock market depressions
10 Worst Stock Market Crashes
10th Worst Stock Market Crash (1932 - 1933): This crash required
the longest recovery time of all the 10 crashes. The combination
of the tech bubble bursting and the September 11th terrorist
attack served a deadly blow to the stock market, but relative to
markets past, this was a minor one. Date Started: 1/15/2000 Date
Ended: 10/9/2002
Total Days: 999 Starting DJIA: 11,792.98 Ending DJIA: 7,286.27
Total Loss: -37.8%
9th Worst Stock Market Crash (1916 - 1917): This market
suffered about a 40% loss. Date Started: 11/21/1916 Date Ended:
12/19/1917 Total Days: 393 Starting DJIA: 110.15 Ending DJIA:
65.95 Total Loss: -40.1%
8th Worst Stock Market Crash (1939 to 1942): It was one of the
most grueling. It took nearly 3 years to recover from this
crash! With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the markets had a very
tough time. Date Started: 9/12/1939 Date Ended: 4/28/1942
Total Days: 959 Starting DJIA: 155.92 Ending DJIA: 92.92 Total
Loss: -40.4%
7th Worst Stock Market Crash (1973-1974): Another long market
crash -one that many people still remember (think Vietnam and
the Watergate scandal). This crash lasted for 694 days before
bottoming out. Date Started: 1/11/1973 Date Ended: 12/06/1974
Total Days: 694 Starting DJIA: 1051.70 Ending DJIA: 577.60 Total
Loss: -45.1%
6th Worst Stock Market Crash (1901 - 1903): This is the oldest
crash to make the list (DJIA records are not available before
1900). Date Started: 6/17/1901 Date Ended: 11/9/1903 Total Days:
875 Starting DJIA: 57.33 Ending DJIA: 30.88 Total Loss: -46.1%
The 5th worst stock market Crash (1919 - 1921): This crash
followed a post war boom (Stock prices rose 51%). After the
crash bottomed out in August of 1921, this decade saw tremendous
growth in the stock market and the economy (often called the
roaring twenties). Date Started: 11/3/1919 Date Ended: 8/24/1921
Total Days: 660 Starting DJIA: 119.62 Ending DJIA: 63.9 Total
Loss: -46.6%
The 4th worst stock market crash in U.S. History Although this
is the shortest market crash observed, it was a deadly one.
Investors saw almost half their money disappear in just two
months. This crash started the "Great Depression." Date Started:
9/3/1929 Date Ended: 11/13/1929
Total Days: 71 Starting DJIA: 381.17 Ending DJIA: 198.69 Total
Loss: -47.9%
3rd Worst Stock Market Crash (1906 - 1907): This crash was
called the "Panic of 1907." The U.S. Treasury department bought
36 million dollars worth of government bonds to offset the
decline Date Started: 1/19/1906 Date Ended: 11/15/1907
Total Days: 665 Starting DJIA: 75.45 Ending DJIA: 38.83 Total
Loss: -48.5%
2nd Worst Stock Market Crash (1937 - 1938): Just when investors
thought the market was finally good again, following a recovery
of almost half of the great depression losses, the market
plunged again due to war scare and Wall street scandals. Date
Started: 3/10/1937 Date Ended: 3/31/1938
Total Days: 386 Starting DJIA: 194.40 Ending DJIA: 98.95 Total
Loss: -49.1%
Worst Stock Market Crash Ever: 1932 Stock Market Crash:
Investors lost 86% of their money over this 813 day beast. This
market crash combined with the 1929 crash, made up the great
depression. The full recovery didn't take place until 1954. Date
Started: 4/17/1930 Date Ended: 7/8/1932
Total Days: 813 Starting DJIA: 294.07 Ending DJIA: 41.22 Total
Loss: -86.0%