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when was great depression

The Great Depression is usually dated from late 1929 to the late 1930s, with many historians marking its core period as 1929–1939.

Key timeline

  • It began in 1929 , after the stock market crash in October (often called the Wall Street Crash or Black Tuesday).
  • The economic downturn deepened through the early 1930s, with unemployment and bank failures peaking around 1932–1933.
  • Recovery started after 1933 with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, but many economists say the Depression effectively lasted until the late 1930s and was only fully ended by World War II–era mobilization.

So if you’re looking for a quick answer to “when was the Great Depression,” the common short form is: from 1929 to about 1939.