The 1962 US stock-market downturn known for its sharp spring decline was the Kennedy Slide.
The Kennedy Slide took place during the first half of 1962, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell sharply from its late-1961 high. The decline was associated with concerns about economic growth, corporate earnings, inflation, and the market’s high valuations after a long postwar advance.
The episode received its name because it occurred during John F. Kennedy’s presidency, not because the president directly caused a single trading-day collapse. The Dow reached a low on June 26, 1962, before recovering later in the year.
The downturn also became linked to the so-called “tronics boom,” a period when investors had heavily favored technology-related companies. The Kennedy Slide is less internationally famous than 1929 or 1987, but it remains an important example of a sharp US equity correction during the postwar era.