What happened on 19 October 1929 during the Wall Street Crash?

• A. 3.5 million shares traded and prices began to fall quickly.
• B. 5 million shares traded and prices rose.
• C. 1 million shares traded and prices remained stable.
• D. 7 million shares traded and prices fluctuated.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing the start of the market panic and the surge in activity that signaled a turning point. On 19 October 1929, trading volume was around 3.5 million shares and prices began to fall quickly, showing investors rushing to sell and pessimism spreading. This day marks the first clear step in the crash, as confidence faltered and the market moved from rough stability to a downward trend. The other described scenarios—prices rising, staying stable, or a much larger swing in volume with fluctuations—don’t fit the moment when the downturn began and sentiment shifted toward selling. This early drop set the stage for the deeper declines that followed later in the week.