The sharp 1962 U.S. stock-market decline was nicknamed the Kennedy Slide. The sell-off ran from late 1961 into June 1962 and became one of the largest market drops since the 1929 crash.
Investors worried about slowing economic growth, declining corporate profits, inflation, and international tensions during the Cold War. The market's speculative growth stocks were especially vulnerable, and many leading shares lost a substantial portion of their value.
The decline reached its low on June 26, 1962. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen about 27% from its December 1961 peak, although the market later recovered.
The nickname connects the episode with President John F. Kennedy's administration, but it was not a crash caused by a single presidential decision. It is also called the Flash Crash of 1962 in some accounts, a label that should not be confused with the 2010 event.