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On That Day — Archive
Every past edition of the finance-history quiz. Each issue holds three stories from that calendar week — two are almost right, one is exact. Play them cold or use them as a weekly finance-history refresher.
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April 14, 2026 Monday Play →
Week of April 13, 2026 – April 19, 2026
On That Day in Markets
Three stories. One is true. Can you spot it?
Pick the story you think is true.
Verdict
S&P's April 18, 2011 warning shot was the beginning of one of the most dramatic episodes in US fiscal history. The 'negative outlook' was unprecedented for American sovereign debt and sent a clear message to Congress: resolve the debt ceiling or face a downgrade. Congress did pass the Budget Control Act on August 2 — but S&P downgraded anyway on August 5, triggering 'Black Monday' on August 8 when the Dow fell over 600 points.
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April 11, 2026 Friday Play →
Week of April 6, 2026 – April 12, 2026
On That Day in Markets
Three stories. One is true. Can you spot it?
Pick the story you think is true.
Verdict
The OPEC+ deal of April 2020 was unprecedented in scale — 9.7 million barrels per day of cuts, roughly 10% of global supply. It came after Saudi Arabia had flooded the market in March to punish Russia for refusing earlier cuts. But even this historic deal couldn't prevent the most surreal moment in oil history: on April 20, WTI futures went negative at -$37.63/barrel as storage ran out and traders paid others to take delivery.
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April 7, 2026 Monday Play →
Week of April 6, 2026 – April 12, 2026
On That Day in Markets
Three stories. One is true. Can you spot it?
Pick the story you think is true.
Verdict
The April 9 tariff-pause rally was as historic as the crash that preceded it. After a week of panic selling triggered by Liberation Day tariffs, Trump reversed course and announced a 90-day pause for all countries except China (which got hit with 125% tariffs instead). The S&P 500's 9.5% single-day gain was the eighth-largest in history. The Nasdaq's 12% surge was its second-best day ever.
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April 4, 2026 Friday Play →
Week of March 30, 2026 – April 5, 2026
On That Day in Markets
Three stories. One is true. Can you spot it?
Pick the story you think is true.
Verdict
Roosevelt's gold confiscation order is one of the most dramatic government interventions in financial history. Signed April 3 and effective April 5, 1933, it required citizens to surrender gold holdings to the Federal Reserve at $20.67/oz. The government then revalued gold to $35/oz in January 1934, effectively devaluing the dollar by 40%. The ban lasted until 1974.
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April 1, 2026 Monday Play →
Week of March 30, 2026 – April 5, 2026
On That Day in Markets
Three stories. One is true. Can you spot it?
Pick the story you think is true.
Verdict
The 'Liberation Day' crash was real and recent. On April 2, 2025, Trump announced tariffs targeting all imported goods at rates not seen in nearly a century. Markets reacted violently the next day — the S&P 500 dropped 4.84%, and the Nasdaq lost over 1,600 points. It was followed by an equally historic bounce on April 9 when a 90-day pause was announced.