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Viet Minh forces under General Vo Nguyen Giap overran the French base at Dien Bien Phu, ending French colonial rule in Indochina. -
Alleged attacks on U.S. destroyers by North Vietnamese torpedo boats led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
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The U.S. initiated a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam, aiming to weaken the enemy's ability and will to fight.
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North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched coordinated attacks on major South Vietnamese cities, challenging U.S. claims of progress in the war.
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U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai, leading to global outrage and increased anti-war sentiment.
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President Nixon introduced a strategy aimed at gradually withdrawing U.S. troops and transferring combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.
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U.S. and South Vietnamese forces expanded the war into Cambodia to attack North Vietnamese sanctuaries, sparking widespread protests in the United States.
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A classified government study detailing U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam was leaked, revealing that the government had misled the public about the war's progress.
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The United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the Viet Cong signed an agreement to end direct U.S. military involvement and establish a ceasefire.
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North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, leading to the reunification of Vietnam under communist control and marking the official end of the Vietnam War.