On October 24, 1929, heavy selling on the New York Stock Exchange triggered what became known as Black Thursday. Stock prices dropped sharply at the opening bell as worried investors rushed to sell. Leading bankers tried to stabilize the market by buying large blocks of stock. The effort slowed the decline for that day, but confidence remained badly shaken. Further plunges followed on Black Monday and Black Tuesday. The crash helped set off the Great Depression, which caused deep economic hardship across the United States and around the world.
