U.S. stocks hit a milestone Aug. 21 by extending their collective winning streak to 3,453 days, a run that qualifies as the nation's second — yes, second — longest stretch of gains since the Great Depression.
Contrary to media reports pegging the market's latest stretch as the longest bull market on record, the ongoing expansion actually ranks second behind only the 4,494-day streak recorded from October 1987 through March 2000. The current bull market officially commenced March 9, 2009, and…