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Ho Chi Minh is born.
Ho Chi Minh would eventually become the Nationalist revolutionary of Vietnam. He was inspired by Russia's revolution and sought to bring communism to South East Asia. He founded the Vietminh and became the president of North Vietnam. -
Vietnam declares independence from France, but neither France nor the United States recognize Vietnam as a separate nation.
When Ho Chi Minh declared independence, France and the United States did not recognize this and fought to keep Vietnam as a colony. In response, the Viet Minh attacked the French and began the First Indochina War. -
President Eisenhower declares "Domino Theory."
During a speech, President Eisenhower described communism in Indochina as a domino effect. He predicted that if one country would fall to communism, it would cause nearby countries to become communist as well. This would become the reasoning behind the US containment policy. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu.
After the French withdrew from Vietnam, the US got more involved. They began supporting Ngo Dinh Diem and South Vietnam in the conflict against the communist North. -
The Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South.
Vietnam is divided along the 17th parallel. The North becomes communist and the South anticommunist, but nationwide elections are supposed to be held to reunify the country. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancels elections in Vietnam.
South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem announced that he would not support the elections that would reunify North and South Vietnam. He cancelled the elections because Ho Chi Minh was more popular, and he didn't want Vietnam to become communist. -
The National Liberation Front is formed.
The National Liberation Front, also known as the Viet Cong, was formed to overthrow the South Vietnamese government. Supported by North Vietnam, they occupied South Vietnam and fought using guerrilla tactics. -
The United States withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam.
The US withdrew support of Ngo Dinh Diem and supported a coup d’état. South Vietnamese officials, led by General Duong Van Minh, assassinated Diem and his brother. -
A South Vietnamese monk sets himself on fire.
Thich Quang Duc, a Buddist monk, set himself of fire in the streets of Saigon to protest Ngo Dinh Diem's discriminatory policies. Diem only supported Catholics and passed laws against Buddhism, including banning the Buddhist flag. Outrage over Diem's religious policies led to the US withdrawing support and allowing his assassination -
President Kennedy is assassinated, leading to the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.
If JFK had not been assassinated, the war in Vietnam might have ended much sooner. He didn't always trust his advisers, and he was already planning to consider withdrawal after the 1964 election when he died, so it's likely that he would have pulled the US out of the conflict when things looked bad. -
President Johnson claims a U.S. ship had been fired upon by the North Vietnamese.
Johnson announced that the USS Maddox had been shot at by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Congress saw this as a good reason to get involved in Vietnam and passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which allowed the president to take all necessary measures against North Vietnam. -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam.
In 1955, President Eisenhower sent the first military advisors to Vietnam. JFK sent more troops and advisors in 1961, and eventually, President Johnson escalated to sending combat troops.
