This day in market history: October 26
What each index did on this calendar date in every earlier year of the stored record, and how many sessions it has been since the last fall of 2%, the last fall of 3%, the last record close and the last VIX close above 30. Recomputed at every build from the same series as the rest of Market Memory. Historical context, not a forecast. Every figure on this page describes what happened after past moves. None of it says what happens after this one. Historical market behaviour does not predict future results.
| Series | Years with a session | Higher | Median | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (SPY) | 24 | 46% | −0.06% | +1.53% | −1.85% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 39 | 44% | −0.16% | +1.94% | −9.00% |
| Dow Jones (DIA) | 21 | 57% | +0.03% | +1.43% | −2.24% |
| Russell 2000 (IWM) | 19 | 47% | +0.00% | +1.72% | −2.16% |
| VIX | 25 | 56% | +0.41% | +17.82% | −7.61% |
| Bitcoin | 11 | 73% | +0.75% | +6.62% | −4.38% |
| Gold | 34 | 44% | −0.03% | +2.09% | −3.18% |
| WTI crude oil | 28 | 61% | +0.34% | +2.83% | −3.84% |
| Apple | 33 | 42% | +0.00% | +5.64% | −21.13% |
| Microsoft | 29 | 55% | +0.17% | +9.50% | −18.65% |
| NVIDIA | 20 | 45% | −0.40% | +9.76% | −7.14% |
| Amazon | 21 | 52% | +0.08% | +15.69% | −13.91% |
| Alphabet | 17 | 41% | −0.31% | +2.46% | −9.14% |
| Meta Platforms | 10 | 20% | −2.72% | +1.55% | −5.59% |
| Tesla | 12 | 50% | +0.03% | +6.08% | −3.14% |
| Session | Move |
|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2026 | +0.59% |
| Oct 26, 2023 | −1.20% |
| Oct 26, 2022 | −0.75% |
| Oct 26, 2021 | +0.09% |
| Oct 26, 2020 | −1.85% |
| Oct 26, 2018 | −1.76% |
| Oct 26, 2017 | +0.13% |
| Oct 26, 2016 | −0.20% |
| Oct 26, 2015 | −0.25% |
| Oct 26, 2012 | −0.06% |
| Oct 26, 2011 | +1.02% |
| Oct 26, 2010 | +0.02% |
| Oct 26, 2009 | −1.08% |
| Oct 26, 2007 | +1.17% |
| Oct 26, 2006 | +0.31% |
| Oct 26, 2005 | −0.29% |
| Oct 26, 2004 | +1.53% |
| Oct 26, 2001 | −0.23% |
| Oct 26, 2000 | +0.28% |
| Oct 26, 1999 | −1.26% |
| Oct 26, 1998 | +0.73% |
| Oct 26, 1995 | −0.91% |
| Oct 26, 1994 | +0.37% |
| Oct 26, 1993 | −0.07% |
The card
This day in market history: October 26 S&P 500 (SPY) on October 26, 24 earlier years: higher in 46% of them, median −0.06%. Best: +1.53% (Oct 26, 2004). Worst: −1.85% (Oct 26, 2020). Last 2% fall in a day, S&P 500 (SPY): 98 sessions ago (Jun 5, 2026). Last 3% fall in a day, S&P 500 (SPY): 387 sessions ago (Apr 10, 2025). Last record close, S&P 500 (SPY): 14 sessions ago (Oct 6, 2026). Last VIX close at or above 30: 148 sessions ago (Mar 30, 2026). Historical context, not a forecast. Source and method on the page.
How to read it
A calendar date has no memory. The share of earlier years in which an index rose on October 26 is a frequency from the past, and the sample is a few dozen sessions; it says nothing about what this year's session does. The page exists because the question gets asked every day, and the honest answer — a small sample, a wide range and no mechanism — is more useful than the folklore that usually answers it. The counters are the more informative half: how long since the last fall of a given size is a plain measure of how calm the recent record has been, and calm records end without notice. The methodology page gives the sources and definitions; the site's financial disclaimer applies.