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Japan Invades Vietnam
It became one of a series of foreign nations that ruled the Asian country. -
Japan surrenders to the Allies
The Japanese representatives signed the official Instrument of Surrender, prepared by the War Department and approved by President Harry S. Truman. -
India gains independence from Britain
The Indian Independence Bill, which carves the independent nations of India and Pakistan out of the former Mogul Empire, comes into force. -
French forces fell to the Vietminh
A massive Vietminh force surrounded Dien Bien Phu and began bombarding the town. The defeat convinced the French to make peace and withdraw from Indochina. -
VietCong was established
The Viet Cong primarily employed guerrilla tactics, such as ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, and utilizing the terrain to their advantage. Their goal was to overthrow the South Vietnamese government. -
Johnson announced North Vietnamese fired
North Vietnamese torpedo boats had fired on two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized the president to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” -
Bombing Campaign in Vietnamm
The campaign aimed to weaken North Vietnam's war capabilities and force negotiations, but ultimately failed to achieve its objectives. -
Johnson sends the first U.S. troop into Vietnam
Two battalions of U.S. Marines came to the beaches at Danang. 3,500 soldiers were the first combat troops the United States had dispatched to South Vietnam to support the Saigon government in its effort to defeat an increasingly lethal Communist insurgency. -
Agent Orange exposed
The U.S. military sprayed from 1962 to 1971 during the Vietnam War to remove the leaves of trees and other dense tropical foliage that provided enemy cover.