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The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was an extremely long conflict, lasting from the sending of a group of advisors to aid South Vietnam on November 1, 1955, to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. As time progressed it caused more and more controversy in the United States. What began as a small group of 'advisors' under President Dwight Eisenhower ended up with more than 2.5 million American troops involved. Here are essential points to understanding the Vietnam War. -
Ho Chi Minh Trail
North Vietnam forces begin to build a supply route through Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam in an effort to support guerrilla attacks against Diem’s government in the south. The route becomes known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail and is greatly expanded and enhanced during the Vietnam War. -
John F. Kennedy presidency
The first U.S. president born in the 20th century, was born to a wealthy, politically connected family. Elected as the 35th president in 1960, he took office on Jan. 20, 1961, but his life and legacy were cut short when he was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the Central Intelligence Agency-sponsored paramilitary group. -
Buddhist Crisis
In a major incident of what becomes known as the “Buddhist Crisis,” the government of Ngo Dinh Diem opens fire on a crowd of Buddhist protestors in the central Vietnam city of Hue. Eight people, including children, are killed. -
President Kennedy Assassination
President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president. -
Battle of la Drang Valley
Nearly 300 Americans are killed and hundreds more injured in the first large-scale battle of the war, the Battle of la Drang Valley. At the battle, in South Vietnam’s Central Highlands, U.S. ground troops are dropped onto and withdrawn from the battlefield by helicopter, in what would become a common strategy. -
Invention of the Jumbo Jet
Longtime Boeing employee Joe Sutter developed what was known as the "jumbo jet." The plane he designed was longer than the distance the Wright brothers traveled during their first flight. -
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Richard Nixon's presidency
He was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. As a result of his involvement in the Watergate scandal, a cover-up of illegal activities connected with his re-election committee, Nixon became the first and only U.S. president to resign from office. -
Invention of the Digital Camera
In 1975, the first nail was hammered into the film camera's coffin when Eastman Kodak engineer Steven Sasson invented the digital camera. The 24-year-old from Brooklyn was the first to use a new technology called digitalization to capture images.