-
JFK and Ngo Dinh Diem meet
White House meeting immediately prior to the coup, including the President's brother voicing doubts about the policy of support for a coup: "I mean, it's different from a coup in the Iraq or South American country; we are so intimately involved in this…." National Security Archive senior fellow John Prados provides a full transcript of the meeting, together with the audio on CD, in his new book-and-CD publication, The White House Tapes: Eavesdropping on the President -
Diem overthrown
South Vietnam's President Diem is overthrown in a military coup. The coup takes place with the tacit approval of the United States. Diem was killed during the coup, despite assurances that he would not be. The United States had hoped that by overthrowing the unpopular Diem, it could strengthen the opposition to the communist Viet Cong. -
President Johnson declares he will not "lose Vietnam" during a meeting with Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge in Washington.
President Johnson declares he will not “lose Vietnam” during a meeting with Ambassador Lodge in Washington. -
The Geneva Accords divide Vietnam in half at the 17th parallel
The Geneva Accords was passed in July on 1954. It divided Vietnam into two separate nations near the 17th parallel. The United States and seven other nations formed the Southest Asia Treaty two months later. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
President Lyndon Johnson announced that two days earlier, U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin had been attacked by the North Vietnamese. Johnson dispatched U.S. planes against the attackers and asked Congress to pass a resolution to support his actions. The joint resolutionto promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asi passed on August 7, with only two Senators. -
Operation Rolling Thunder begins
Operation Rolling Thunder begins with more than 100 United States Air Force jet bombers striking an ammunition depot at Xom Bang, 10 miles inside North Vietnam. -
Massive anti-war demonstrations held in the U.S.
Northwestern's first massive anti-war rally was a teach-in held in April 1967. That same month, a student rally was held on the steps of the administration building. The rally started as a demand for a voice in academic issues and financial aid decisions, but it turned into an anti-war protest when students asked to discontinue the National Reserve Training Officer program, which had existed on campus since 1926. -
MyLai Massacre
My Lai was a village of about 700 inhabitants some 100 miles to the southeast of the US base of Danang. Shortly after dawn on March 16th, three platoons of US troops from C Company, 11th Brigade, arrived in the Son My area having been dropped off by helicopters. 1 Platoon was commanded by Lieutenant William Calley and was ordered to My Lai village. They were part of Task Force Barker – the codename for a search and destroy mission. -
President Nixon stuns Americans by announcing U.S. and South Vietnamese incursion into Cambodia
President Nixon stuns Americans by announcing a U.S. and South Vietnamese incursion into Cambodia in response to continuing Communist gains against Lon Nol's forces. The incursion is and is also intended to weaken overall NVA military strength as a prelude to U.S. departure from Vietnam.
