The 1962 U.S. stock-market decline was known as the Kennedy Slide.
The sell-off occurred between December 1961 and June 1962, with the most severe losses concentrated in the spring. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by roughly 27% from its December high to its June low. The decline followed a period of strong gains and reflected concerns about economic growth, corporate profits, inflation, and the possibility of tighter monetary policy.
The name connected the episode with President John F. Kennedy, although it does not mean that Kennedy personally caused the entire market decline. Investor sentiment was influenced by several economic and political conditions. The market also suffered from a sharp fall in speculative and growth stocks.
The Kennedy Slide is sometimes confused with the 1962 steel crisis. Kennedy's confrontation with steel companies happened during the same year, but it was a separate event. The crash label refers to the stock-market decline rather than a single trading day.