For some long-term perspective, today's chart illustrates the Dow adjusted for inflation since 1925.
When adjusted for inflation, the bear market that concluded in the early 1980s was almost as severe as the one that concluded in the early 1930s.
The inflation-adjusted Dow is now a little more than double where it was at its 1929 peak and trades a mere 51% above its 1966 peak – not that spectacular of a performance considering the time frames involved.
It is also interesting to note that the Dow is up 54% from its March 9, 2009 low which is actually slightly more than what the inflation-adjusted Dow gained from its 1966 peak to today.