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Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Being the decisive engagement in the first Indochina War, Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces defeat the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, ending the 7 ½-year Indochina War. -
Geneva Conference of 1954
The world powers agree to divide Vietnam in a conference in Geneva. It's purpose was to resolve issues resulting from the Korean War and the First Indochina War, but marked a marked a turning point in the United States’ involvement in Vietnam when they supported an anticommunist government led by Ngo Dinh Diem in the South. -
Le Duan succeeds Ho Chi Minh
Le Duan replaces Ho Chi Minh as First Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party in Hanoi, Vietnam -
U.S. Election of 1960
John F. Kennedy beats Richard Nixon in the U.S. presidential election and Lyndon B. Johnson becomes vice president -
National Liberation Front formed
Southern revolutionaries, backed by the North Vietnam, form the National Liberation Front, known in Saigon and Washington as the Viet Cong. -
JFK's Assassination
Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald and Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as president. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
(Two) Supposed events in the Gulf of Tonkin where North Vietnamese ships attack two U.S. gunships lead Johnson to seek congressional approval for direct U.S. involvement in Vietnam. -
Battle of the la Drang Valley
The first major battle in the Vietnam War between the U.S. Army and the North Vietnamese Army (U.S. won, but found what Viet Cong were capable of. -
Anti-War Protest
Hundreds of thousands of antiwar protesters gather for demonstrations in New York’s Central Park and in San Francisco, California -
Tet Offensive
North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops and guerillas launch surprise attacks against targets throughout South Vietnam against the U.S.
https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive -
My Lai Massacre
A group of American soldiers kill more than 500 unarmed civilians in the Village of My Lai. -
Johnson's Announcements
Johnson announces for plans to limit war in Vietnam and that he will not run for re-election.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnson-announces-bombing-halt
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=28772 -
U.S. Election of 1968
Republican Richard Nixon becomes president in one of the closest U.S. elections in history and promises to end the war in Vietnam and to find a way to “peace with honor” in Vietnam. -
U.S. Moratorium
The first Moratorium to end war in Vietnam were series of mass demonstrations across the U.S. by hundreds of thousands of people. -
Nixon calls on the "silent majority"
President Nixon goes on television and radio call to call for national solidarity on the Vietnam War effort, appealing to a “silent majority” to support his policies. -
Operation Lam Son
The South Vietnamese launch operation Lam Son 719 against North Vietnamese forces in Laos, which ends in their hasty retreat and defeat. -
Easter Offensive
The Easter Offensive (military campaign) invasion by North Vietnamese forces is successfully repelled by South Vietnamese. -
Paris Peace Accords
A peace treaty is signed by the U.S., South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam to formally sign “An Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam”. -
Fall of Saigon/The End of the Vietnam War
South Vietnam finally surrenders after the capture of Saigon in Vietnam -
U.S. finally establish relations with Vietnam
Under President Bill Clinton, the U.S. normalizes relations with Vietnam.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-establishes-diplomatic-relations-with-vietnam
