Which New York Stock Exchange crash in 1962 became known as the Kennedy Slide?

The New York Stock Exchange crash in 1962 became known as the Flash Crash of 1962. It is also called the Kennedy Slide because the decline occurred during John F. Kennedy’s presidency. From December 1961 to June 1962, the market suffered a broad correction, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing about 27% from its peak to its low.

The episode followed a strong postwar bull market and reflected concerns about slowing growth, corporate earnings, inflation, and monetary policy. Selling intensified in May and June, including a steep one-day decline on May 28, 1962. The market later stabilized without producing the prolonged economic collapse associated with the Great Depression.

The name can cause confusion with the 2010 United States flash crash, which was an intraday event involving modern electronic trading. The 1962 episode unfolded over months and involved a conventional market correction. It also differs from the 1987 crash, whose defining feature was a much larger one-day percentage fall.