All was lost Bankrupt investor Walter Thornton tries to sell his luxury roadster for $100 cash on the streets of New York City following the 1929 stock market crash. (more) Black Tuesday and the Crash of 1929 October 29, 1929, marked the end of the beginning of the Great Depression Written by Michele Metych Michele Metych is the lead editor for Today in History at Encyclopædia Britannica. Michele Metych Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 10, 2026 •History All was lostBankrupt investor Walter Thornton tries to sell his luxury roadster for $100 cash on the streets of New York City following the 1929 stock market crash.© Bettmann/Getty Images October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday, is widely regarded as the final day of the stock market crash of 1929, a sudden and staggeringly steep drop in U.S. stock prices that precipitated the Great Depression. The downturn had begun on October 24 and...

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