Which event marked the start of the Great Depression?

The stock market crash of 1929 is widely recognized as the event that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. This catastrophic downturn in the stock market occurred on October 29, 1929, a day known as Black Tuesday. The crash resulted from a combination of speculative investments, overproduction, and an overall economic fragility that had been built up throughout the 1920s. When stock prices plummeted, it triggered a loss of confidence among consumers and businesses, leading to reduced spending and widespread bank failures.

This event set off a chain reaction, causing unemployment to skyrocket and a significant contraction in the economy, leading to the prolonged economic hardship of the 1930s known as the Great Depression. It not only affected the United States but also had global repercussions, leading to reduced trade and economic instability in other countries.

The other choices, while significant events in their own right, do not directly relate to the onset of the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl, occurring in the 1930s, compounded economic difficulties but arose after the Great Depression had already begun. The Pearl Harbor attack took place in 1941, years after the Great Depression had been underway, and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 191