What made the recent recession so bad? Why did it not turn into another Great Depression?

The Great Depression was a worldwide economic depression that lasted 10 years. Its kickoff was "Black Thursday," October 24, 1929. That's when traders sold 12.9 million shares of stock in one day, triple the usual amount. Over the next four days, stock prices fell 23 percent in the stock market crash of 1929. The Great Depression had already started in August when the economy contracted.