The Great Depression By kylieb123 Oct 29, 1929 Stock market crashed Period: Oct 29, 1929 to Dec 7, 1941 Great Depression Important Dates Jun 18, 1930 Drought and Dust Bowl conditions ruin farmers’ land Oct 18, 1932 Stocks reached their lowest point Nov 18, 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt beat Herbert Hoover in a landslide Mar 18, 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt took office May 18, 1933 More than 11,000 of the nation’s 25,000 banks had closed Aug 18, 1933 Unemployment reached its highest level, at 25% May 18, 1935 Social Security Act signed into law, financed through payroll taxes Nov 18, 1936 FDR was elected to a second term as president Apr 18, 1938 FDR asked Congress for an additional $3.75 billion to stimulate the economy Nov 18, 1940 FDR was elected to a third term as president Dec 7, 1941 Preparations for World War II stimulated the American economy and effectively brought an end to the Great Depression