Which event is often cited as the start of the Great Depression?

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 is often cited as the start of the Great Depression because it marked a significant and sudden downturn in the economy that had wide-ranging effects. On October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday, the stock market experienced a dramatic crash, wiping out millions of investors and leading to a loss of consumer confidence. This event is viewed as a catalyst that triggered a series of economic failures, including bank closures, mass unemployment, and a decline in industrial production.

The aftermath of the crash was a deep economic recession that unfolded over several years, resulting in the Great Depression. As businesses failed and financial institutions collapsed, the impact reached far beyond the stock market itself, leading to widespread poverty and hardship across the United States and even globally.

The other events listed may have contributed to the economic circumstances of the time or occurred during the Great Depression but did not initiate it. The Dust Bowl, for example, severely affected agriculture primarily in the 1930s, while World War I took place earlier and had different long-term economic effects. The New Deal was a series of programs implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s to combat the effects of the Great Depression, rather than starting it.