What name is given to the U.S. stock-market crash of 1962?

The U.S. stock-market crash of 1962 is known as the Kennedy Slide.

The decline occurred during the first half of 1962, after U.S. share prices had risen strongly during the postwar expansion. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a high in late 1961, then fell sharply through May and June. On 28 May 1962, the Dow dropped 5.7%, one of the largest single-day declines recorded at that time.

Investors were concerned about slowing economic growth, high interest rates, and uncertainty surrounding corporate earnings. The market was also affected by doubts about the sustainability of the long bull market that had followed the 1950s recession.

The name refers to President John F. Kennedy, who was in office during the episode, rather than implying that Kennedy caused it. The Kennedy Slide is distinct from the 1969–1970 bear market and from the 1987 Black Monday crash. The market eventually stabilized, and the United States did not experience a banking collapse comparable to the crises of 1929 or 2008.