Throughout the 1920s, prices on the U.S. stock exchange rose exponentially, however, by the end of the decade, uncontrolled growth and a stock market propped up by speculation and borrowed money proved unsustainable, resulting in the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. This set a chain of events in motion that led to economic collapse - banks demanded repayment of debts, the property market crashed, and people stopped spending as unemployment rose. Within a year the country was in the midst of an economic depression, and the economy continued on a downward trend until late-1932.
It was during this time where Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was elected president, and he assumed office in March 1933 - through a series of economic reforms and New Deal policies, the economy began to recover. Stock prices fluctuated at more sustainable levels over the next decades, and developments were in line with overall economic development, rather than the uncontrolled growth seen in the 1920s. Overall, it took over 25 years for the Dow Jones value to reach its pre-Crash peak.
Monthly value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from January 1920 to December 1955
Characteristic
Unadjusted DJIA index value
Dec-1955
488.4
Nov-1955
483.26
Oct-1955
454.87
Sep-1955
466.62
Aug-1955
468.18
Jul-1955
465.85
Jun-1955
451.38
May-1955
424.86
Apr-1955
425.65
Mar-1955
409.7
Feb-1955
411.87
Jan-1955
408.83
Dec-1954
404.39
Nov-1954
386.77
Oct-1954
352.14
Sep-1954
360.46
Aug-1954
335.8
Jul-1954
347.92
Jun-1954
333.53
May-1954
327.49
Apr-1954
319.33
Mar-1954
303.51
Feb-1954
294.54
Jan-1954
292.39
Dec-1953
280.9
Nov-1953
281.37
Oct-1953
275.81
Sep-1953
264.04
Aug-1953
261.22
Jul-1953
275.38
Jun-1953
268.26
May-1953
272.28
Apr-1953
274.75
Mar-1953
279.87
Feb-1953
284.27
Jan-1953
289.77
Dec-1952
291.9
Nov-1952
283.66
Oct-1952
269.23
Sep-1952
270.61
Aug-1952
275.04
Jul-1952
279.56
Jun-1952
274.26
May-1952
262.94
Apr-1952
257.63
Mar-1952
269.46
Feb-1952
260.08
Jan-1952
270.69
Dec-1951
269.23
Nov-1951
261.27
Oct-1951
262.35
Sep-1951
271.16
Aug-1951
270.25
Jul-1951
257.86
Jun-1951
242.64
May-1951
249.65
Apr-1951
259.13
Mar-1951
247.94
Feb-1951
252.05
Jan-1951
248.83
Dec-1950
235.41
Nov-1950
227.6
Oct-1950
225.01
Sep-1950
226.36
Aug-1950
216.87
Jul-1950
209.4
Jun-1950
209.11
May-1950
223.42
Apr-1950
214.33
Mar-1950
206.05
Feb-1950
203.44
Jan-1950
201.79
Dec-1949
200.13
Nov-1949
191.55
Oct-1949
189.54
Sep-1949
182.51
Aug-1949
178.66
Jul-1949
175.92
Jun-1949
167.42
May-1949
168.36
Apr-1949
174.16
Mar-1949
177.1
Feb-1949
173.06
Jan-1949
179.12
Dec-1948
177.3
Nov-1948
171.2
Oct-1948
188.62
Sep-1948
178.3
Aug-1948
181.71
Jul-1948
181.33
Jun-1948
189.46
May-1948
190.74
Apr-1948
180.51
Mar-1948
177.2
Feb-1948
167.3
Jan-1948
175.05
Dec-1947
181.16
Nov-1947
179.4
Oct-1947
181.81
Sep-1947
177.49
Aug-1947
178.85
Jul-1947
183.18
Jun-1947
177.3
May-1947
169.25
Apr-1947
170.64
Mar-1947
177.2
Feb-1947
178.9
Jan-1947
180.44
Dec-1946
177.2
Nov-1946
169.8
Oct-1946
169.15
Sep-1946
172.42
Aug-1946
189.19
Jul-1946
201.56
Jun-1946
205.62
May-1946
212.28
Apr-1946
206.77
Mar-1946
199.75
Feb-1946
190.09
Jan-1946
204.67
Dec-1945
192.91
Nov-1945
191.46
Oct-1945
186.6
Sep-1945
181.71
Aug-1945
174.29
Jul-1945
162.88
Jun-1945
165.29
May-1945
168.3
Apr-1945
165.44
Mar-1945
154.41
Feb-1945
160.4
Jan-1945
153.67
Dec-1944
152.32
Nov-1944
147.33
Oct-1944
146.53
Sep-1944
146.73
Aug-1944
146.99
Jul-1944
146.11
Jun-1944
148.38
May-1944
142.24
Apr-1944
136.23
Mar-1944
138.84
Feb-1944
136.3
Jan-1944
137.4
Dec-1943
135.89
Nov-1943
129.57
Oct-1943
138.27
Sep-1943
140.12
Aug-1943
136.62
Jul-1943
135.95
Jun-1943
143.38
May-1943
142.06
Apr-1943
135.48
Mar-1943
136.57
Feb-1943
130.11
Jan-1943
125.58
Dec-1942
119.4
Nov-1942
114.5
Oct-1942
114.07
Sep-1942
109.11
Aug-1942
106.33
Jul-1942
105.72
Jun-1942
103.34
May-1942
100.88
Apr-1942
95.35
Mar-1942
99.53
Feb-1942
106.79
Jan-1942
109.11
Dec-1941
110.96
Nov-1941
114.23
Oct-1941
117.82
Sep-1941
126.82
Aug-1941
127.7
Jul-1941
128.79
Jun-1941
123.14
May-1941
115.76
Apr-1941
115.54
Mar-1941
122.72
Feb-1941
121.97
Jan-1941
124.13
Dec-1940
131.13
Nov-1940
131
Oct-1940
134.61
Sep-1940
132.64
Aug-1940
129.42
Jul-1940
126.14
Jun-1940
121.87
May-1940
116.22
Apr-1940
148.43
Mar-1940
147.95
Feb-1940
146.54
Jan-1940
145.33
Dec-1939
150.24
Nov-1939
145.69
Oct-1939
151.88
Sep-1939
152.54
Aug-1939
134.41
Jul-1939
143.26
Jun-1939
130.63
May-1939
138.18
Apr-1939
128.45
Mar-1939
131.84
Feb-1939
147.3
Jan-1939
143.76
Dec-1938
154.76
Nov-1938
149.82
Oct-1938
151.73
Sep-1938
141.45
Aug-1938
139.27
Jul-1938
141.25
Jun-1938
133.88
May-1938
107.74
Apr-1938
111.28
Mar-1938
98.95
Feb-1938
129.64
Jan-1938
121.87
Dec-1937
120.85
Nov-1937
123.48
Oct-1937
138.17
Sep-1937
154.57
Aug-1937
177.41
Jul-1937
185.61
Jun-1937
169.32
May-1937
174.71
Apr-1937
174.27
Mar-1937
186.41
Feb-1937
187.3
Jan-1937
185.74
Dec-1936
179.9
Nov-1936
183.22
Oct-1936
177.19
Sep-1936
167.82
Aug-1936
166.29
Jul-1936
164.86
Jun-1936
157.69
May-1936
152.64
Apr-1936
145.67
Mar-1936
156.34
Feb-1936
152.15
Jan-1936
149.49
Dec-1935
144.13
Nov-1935
142.35
Oct-1935
139.74
Sep-1935
131.92
Aug-1935
127.89
Jul-1935
126.23
Jun-1935
118.21
May-1935
110.64
Apr-1935
109.45
Mar-1935
100.81
Feb-1935
102.38
Jan-1935
101.69
Dec-1934
104.04
Nov-1934
102.94
Oct-1934
93.36
Sep-1934
92.63
Aug-1934
92.86
Jul-1934
88.05
Jun-1934
95.72
May-1934
94
Apr-1934
100.49
Mar-1934
101.85
Feb-1934
103.46
Jan-1934
107.22
Dec-1933
99.9
Nov-1933
98.14
Oct-1933
88.16
Sep-1933
94.82
Aug-1933
102.41
Jul-1933
90.77
Jun-1933
98.14
May-1933
88.11
Apr-1933
77.66
Mar-1933
55.4
Feb-1933
51.39
Jan-1933
60.9
Dec-1932
59.93
Nov-1932
56.35
Oct-1932
61.9
Sep-1932
71.56
Aug-1932
73.16
Jul-1932
54.26
Jun-1932
42.84
May-1932
44.74
Apr-1932
56.11
Mar-1932
73.28
Feb-1932
81.44
Jan-1932
76.19
Dec-1931
77.9
Nov-1931
93.87
Oct-1931
105.43
Sep-1931
96.61
Aug-1931
139.41
Jul-1931
135.39
Jun-1931
150.18
May-1931
128.46
Apr-1931
151.19
Mar-1931
172.36
Feb-1931
189.66
Jan-1931
167.55
Dec-1930
164.58
Nov-1930
183.39
Oct-1930
183.35
Sep-1930
204.9
Aug-1930
240.42
Jul-1930
233.99
Jun-1930
226.34
May-1930
275.07
Apr-1930
279.23
Mar-1930
279.23
Feb-1930
286.1
Jan-1930
267.14
Dec-1929
248.48
Nov-1929
238.95
Oct-1929
273.51
Sep-1929
343.45
Aug-1929
380.33
Jul-1929
347.7
Jun-1929
333.79
May-1929
297.41
Apr-1929
319.29
Mar-1929
308.85
Feb-1929
317.41
Jan-1929
317.51
Dec-1928
300
Nov-1928
293.38
Oct-1928
252.16
Sep-1928
237.38
Aug-1928
240.41
Jul-1928
216
Jun-1928
210.37
May-1928
219.81
Apr-1928
211.63
Mar-1928
214.45
Feb-1928
194.78
Jan-1928
198.59
Dec-1927
200.7
Nov-1927
198.21
Oct-1927
181.73
Sep-1927
197.59
Aug-1927
189.79
Jul-1927
181.4
Jun-1927
166.23
May-1927
172.96
Apr-1927
164.64
Mar-1927
160.08
Feb-1927
161.96
Jan-1927
156.41
Dec-1926
157.2
Nov-1926
156.55
Oct-1926
150.76
Sep-1926
158.19
Aug-1926
162.51
Jul-1926
160.18
Jun-1926
153.04
May-1926
143.43
Apr-1926
143.71
Mar-1926
140.46
Feb-1926
154.68
Jan-1926
157.35
Dec-1925
151.08
Nov-1925
151.08
Oct-1925
155.65
Sep-1925
143.46
Aug-1925
141.18
Jul-1925
133.81
Jun-1925
131.01
May-1925
129.95
Apr-1925
120.01
Mar-1925
116.75
Feb-1925
122.24
Jan-1925
123.49
Dec-1924
120.51
Nov-1924
111.1
Oct-1924
104.06
Sep-1924
103.16
Aug-1924
104.14
Jul-1924
102.14
Jun-1924
96.37
May-1924
89.9
Apr-1924
90.63
Mar-1924
92.28
Feb-1924
97.69
Jan-1924
100.66
Dec-1923
95.52
Nov-1923
92.34
Oct-1923
88.53
Sep-1923
87.97
Aug-1923
93.46
Jul-1923
86.91
Jun-1923
88.4
May-1923
97.53
Apr-1923
98.38
Mar-1923
102.77
Feb-1923
103.9
Jan-1923
97.43
Dec-1922
98.12
Nov-1922
94.65
Oct-1922
96.11
Sep-1922
97.12
Aug-1922
100.78
Jul-1922
97.05
Jun-1922
92.93
May-1922
96.03
Apr-1922
91.93
Mar-1922
89.05
Feb-1922
85.46
Jan-1922
81.3
Dec-1921
80.8
Nov-1921
77.3
Oct-1921
73.21
Sep-1921
71.08
Aug-1921
67.11
Jul-1921
68.37
Jun-1921
68.45
May-1921
73.44
Apr-1921
78.57
Mar-1921
75.76
Feb-1921
74.98
Jan-1921
76.13
Dec-1920
71.95
Nov-1920
76.04
Oct-1920
85.08
Sep-1920
82.95
Aug-1920
86.16
Jul-1920
86.85
Jun-1920
90.76
May-1920
91.81
Apr-1920
93.54
Mar-1920
102.81
Feb-1920
91.18
Jan-1920
104.21
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Macrotrends. (June 27, 2022). Monthly value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from January 1920 to December 1955 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 26, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249670/monthly-change-value-dow-jones-depression/
Macrotrends. "Monthly value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from January 1920 to December 1955." Chart. June 27, 2022. Statista. Accessed November 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249670/monthly-change-value-dow-jones-depression/
Macrotrends. (2022). Monthly value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from January 1920 to December 1955. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249670/monthly-change-value-dow-jones-depression/
Macrotrends. "Monthly Value of The Dow Jones Industrial Average (Djia) from January 1920 to December 1955." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249670/monthly-change-value-dow-jones-depression/
Macrotrends, Monthly value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from January 1920 to December 1955 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249670/monthly-change-value-dow-jones-depression/ (last visited November 26, 2024)
Monthly value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from January 1920 to December 1955 [Graph], Macrotrends, June 27, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249670/monthly-change-value-dow-jones-depression/