Stock market history

Biggest stock market drops (and gains) in a single day

The largest one-day percentage moves on closing prices. The S&P 500's worst day since 1949 was Oct 19, 1987, when it fell 20.5%; its best was Oct 13, 2008 (+11.6%). Big up days tend to cluster with big down days, in the most volatile markets.

Corrections & bear markets →VIX →

S&P 500: biggest drops

since 1949

#	Date	Change	Close
1	Oct 19, 1987	-20.47%	224.84
2	Mar 16, 2020	-11.98%	2,386.13
3	Mar 12, 2020	-9.51%	2,480.64
4	Oct 15, 2008	-9.03%	907.84
5	Dec 1, 2008	-8.93%	816.21
6	Sep 29, 2008	-8.81%	1,106.42
7	Oct 26, 1987	-8.28%	227.67
8	Oct 9, 2008	-7.62%	909.92
9	Mar 9, 2020	-7.60%	2,746.56
10	Oct 27, 1997	-6.87%	876.99
11	Aug 31, 1998	-6.80%	957.28
12	Jan 8, 1988	-6.77%	243.40
13	Nov 20, 2008	-6.71%	752.44
14	May 28, 1962	-6.68%	55.50
15	Aug 8, 2011	-6.66%	1,119.46
16	Sep 26, 1955	-6.62%	42.61
17	Oct 13, 1989	-6.12%	333.65
18	Nov 19, 2008	-6.12%	806.58
19	Oct 22, 2008	-6.10%	896.78
20	Apr 4, 2025	-5.97%	5,074.08

S&P 500: biggest gains

since 1949

#	Date	Change	Close
1	Oct 13, 2008	+11.58%	1,003.35
2	Oct 28, 2008	+10.79%	940.51
3	Apr 9, 2025	+9.52%	5,456.90
4	Mar 24, 2020	+9.38%	2,447.33
5	Mar 13, 2020	+9.29%	2,711.02
6	Oct 21, 1987	+9.10%	258.38
7	Mar 23, 2009	+7.08%	822.92
8	Apr 6, 2020	+7.03%	2,663.68
9	Nov 13, 2008	+6.92%	911.29
10	Nov 24, 2008	+6.47%	851.81
11	Mar 10, 2009	+6.37%	719.60
12	Nov 21, 2008	+6.32%	800.03
13	Mar 26, 2020	+6.24%	2,630.07
14	Mar 17, 2020	+6.00%	2,529.19
15	Jul 24, 2002	+5.73%	843.43
16	Nov 10, 2022	+5.54%	3,956.37
17	Sep 30, 2008	+5.42%	1,166.36
18	Jul 29, 2002	+5.41%	898.96
19	Oct 20, 1987	+5.33%	236.83
20	Dec 16, 2008	+5.14%	913.18

Nasdaq Composite: biggest drops

since 1971

#	Date	Change	Close
1	Mar 16, 2020	-12.32%	6,904.59
2	Oct 19, 1987	-11.35%	360.20
3	Apr 14, 2000	-9.67%	3,321.29
4	Mar 12, 2020	-9.43%	7,201.80
5	Sep 29, 2008	-9.14%	1,983.73
6	Oct 26, 1987	-9.01%	298.90
7	Oct 20, 1987	-9.00%	327.80
8	Dec 1, 2008	-8.95%	1,398.07
9	Aug 31, 1998	-8.56%	1,499.25
10	Oct 15, 2008	-8.47%	1,628.33
11	Apr 3, 2000	-7.64%	4,223.68
12	Mar 9, 2020	-7.29%	7,950.68
13	Jan 2, 2001	-7.23%	2,291.86
14	Oct 27, 1997	-7.16%	1,532.75
15	Dec 20, 2000	-7.12%	2,332.78
16	Apr 12, 2000	-7.06%	3,769.63
17	Aug 8, 2011	-6.90%	2,357.69
18	Sep 17, 2001	-6.83%	1,579.55
19	Nov 19, 2008	-6.53%	1,386.42
20	Mar 12, 2001	-6.30%	1,923.38

Nasdaq Composite: biggest gains

since 1971

#	Date	Change	Close
1	Jan 3, 2001	+14.17%	2,616.69
2	Apr 9, 2025	+12.16%	17,124.97
3	Oct 13, 2008	+11.81%	1,844.25
4	Dec 5, 2000	+10.48%	2,889.80
5	Oct 28, 2008	+9.53%	1,649.47
6	Mar 13, 2020	+9.35%	7,874.88
7	Apr 5, 2001	+8.92%	1,785.00
8	Apr 18, 2001	+8.12%	2,079.44
9	Mar 24, 2020	+8.12%	7,417.86
10	May 30, 2000	+7.94%	3,459.48
11	Oct 13, 2000	+7.87%	3,316.77
12	Oct 19, 2000	+7.79%	3,418.60
13	May 8, 2002	+7.78%	1,696.29
14	Dec 22, 2000	+7.56%	2,517.02
15	Oct 21, 1987	+7.35%	351.90
16	Nov 10, 2022	+7.35%	11,114.15
17	Apr 6, 2020	+7.33%	7,913.24
18	Apr 18, 2000	+7.19%	3,793.57
19	Mar 10, 2009	+7.07%	1,358.28
20	Mar 23, 2009	+6.76%	1,555.77

Dow Jones Industrial Average: biggest drops

since 1992

#	Date	Change	Close
1	Mar 16, 2020	-12.93%	20,188.52
2	Mar 12, 2020	-9.99%	21,200.62
3	Oct 15, 2008	-7.87%	8,577.91
4	Mar 9, 2020	-7.79%	23,851.02
5	Dec 1, 2008	-7.70%	8,149.09
6	Oct 9, 2008	-7.33%	8,579.19
7	Oct 27, 1997	-7.18%	7,161.20
8	Sep 17, 2001	-7.13%	8,920.70
9	Sep 29, 2008	-6.98%	10,365.45
10	Jun 11, 2020	-6.90%	25,128.17
11	Aug 31, 1998	-6.37%	7,539.07
12	Mar 18, 2020	-6.30%	19,898.92
13	Mar 11, 2020	-5.86%	23,553.22
14	Oct 22, 2008	-5.69%	8,519.21
15	Apr 14, 2000	-5.66%	10,305.77
16	Nov 20, 2008	-5.56%	7,552.29
17	Aug 8, 2011	-5.55%	10,809.85
18	Apr 4, 2025	-5.50%	38,314.86
19	Oct 7, 2008	-5.11%	9,447.11
20	Nov 19, 2008	-5.07%	7,997.28

Dow Jones Industrial Average: biggest gains

since 1992

#	Date	Change	Close
1	Mar 24, 2020	+11.37%	20,704.91
2	Oct 13, 2008	+11.08%	9,387.61
3	Oct 28, 2008	+10.88%	9,065.12
4	Mar 13, 2020	+9.36%	23,185.62
5	Apr 9, 2025	+7.87%	40,608.45
6	Apr 6, 2020	+7.73%	22,679.99
7	Mar 23, 2009	+6.84%	7,775.86
8	Nov 13, 2008	+6.67%	8,835.25
9	Nov 21, 2008	+6.54%	8,046.42
10	Mar 26, 2020	+6.38%	22,552.17
11	Jul 24, 2002	+6.35%	8,191.29
12	Mar 10, 2009	+5.80%	6,926.49
13	Jul 29, 2002	+5.41%	8,711.88
14	Mar 17, 2020	+5.20%	21,237.38
15	Mar 2, 2020	+5.09%	26,703.32
16	Dec 26, 2018	+4.98%	22,878.45
17	Sep 8, 1998	+4.98%	8,020.78
18	Nov 24, 2008	+4.93%	8,443.39
19	Mar 16, 2000	+4.93%	10,630.60
20	Mar 10, 2020	+4.89%	25,018.16

Close-to-close percentage changes from daily data (Yahoo Finance): S&P 500 since 1949, Nasdaq Composite since 1971 and the Dow since 1992 (the public daily series starts there, so the Dow's 1987 crash is not in its list). Not investment advice.