This is the grand daddy of them all. Investors lost 86% of their money over this 813 day beast. This market crash combined with the 1929 crash, makes up the great depression.
If you had $1000 on 9/3/1929 (beginning of the 4th worst crash, it would have gone down to a whopping $108.14 by July 8th, 1932 (end of the worst crash) or an 89.2% loss. To recover from a loss like that, you would have to watch your portfolio go up 825%! The full recovery didn't take place until 1954, 22 years later!
Worst Stock Market Crash Ever:
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%