Chart Shows the Peak of US Investor Panic Today

The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 1,000 points amid global panic.

— -- Following a global sell-off in Asia and Europe, U.S. stocks took what looked like could be a historic beating today. Investors panicked as the Dow Jones industrial average fell about 1,000 points at the opening bell before recovering today.

The Dow's largest point decline in history took place on Sept. 29, 2008, when it lost 777.68 points, and its largest percentage decline was Oct. 19, 1987, when it lost 22.6 percent.

By mid-day the blue-chip index was down more than 300 points, or more than 2 percent.

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