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french troops defeated
French troops are humiliated in defeat by Viet Minh forces at Dien Bien Phu. The defeat solidifies the end of French rule in Indochina. -
the Geneva accords
The Geneva Accords establish North and South Vietnam with the 17th parallel as the dividing line. The agreement also stipulates that elections are to be held within two years to unify Vietnam under a single democratic government. These elections never happen. -
Kennedy send troops
President John F. Kennedy sends helicopters and 400 Green Berets to South Vietnam and authorizes secret operations against the Viet Cong. -
ngo dinh
Ngo Dinh Diem survives a bombing of the presidential palace in South Vietnam as Diem’s extreme favoritism toward South Vietnam’s Catholic minority alienates him from most of the South Vietnamese population, including Vietnamese Buddhists. -
kennedy assasinated
President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president. -
operation rolling thunder
President Johnson launches a three-year campaign of sustained bombing of targets in North Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Operation Rolling Thunder. The same month, U.S. Marines land on beaches near Da Nang, South Vietnam as the first American combat troops to enter Vietnam. -
tet offensive
The Tet Offensive begins, encompassing a combined assault of Viet Minh and North Vietnamese armies. Attacks are carried out in more than 100 cities and outposts across South Vietnam, -
attack communist bases
U.S. and South Vietnamese forces attack communist bases across the Cambodian border -
end of the draft
he Selective Service announces the end to the draft and institutes an all-volunteer military. -
america exits vietnam
President Nixon signs the Paris Peace Accords, ending direct U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.