Historical Market Crash Timeline: 1929 to 2024

Every major crash in this timeline was amplified by leverage — margin buying, structured products, derivatives, or carry trades. Avoiding leverage is the most reliable single decision to limit crash exposure.

Assets that appear uncorrelated in normal markets become highly correlated during severe crashes as forced sellers sell whatever they can. True diversification requires assets that preserve value in crisis.

The COVID crash took 33 days; the dot-com bust took 30 months. But the structural sequence — overvaluation, trigger, forced selling, capitulation, recovery — repeats across all episodes.

The 1929 crash took 25 years to recover; the 2020 crash took 6 months. Recovery speed depends on the nature of the crash and policy response. Assuming quick recovery leads to premature risk-taking.