What was the name of the 1962 U.S. market plunge often linked to fears of a recession and the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The 1962 U.S. market plunge often linked to recession fears and the Cuban Missile Crisis was the Kennedy Slide of 1962.

The decline began after the U.S. stock market had risen strongly during the early 1960s. Investors became concerned about slower economic growth, tighter monetary conditions, and uncertainty surrounding corporate profits. The market’s weakness was intensified by geopolitical anxiety during the Cold War.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell sharply from its December 1961 high to its June 1962 low. The decline was substantial but relatively brief compared with the prolonged bear markets associated with 1929 or 2008. The market later recovered as economic conditions and investor confidence improved.

The name refers to President John F. Kennedy’s administration, not to a specific law or single event ordered by Kennedy. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in October 1962, after the market’s June low, so it is better understood as part of the period’s broader atmosphere than as the crash’s sole trigger.