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Eisenhower named President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, former five-star Army general and Allied commander in Europe during World War II, is inaugurated as the 34th U.S. President. -
Vietnam forces France to sieze fire
Vietnamese forces occupy the French command post at Dien Bien Phu and the French commander orders his troops to cease fire. The battle had lasted 55 days. Three thousand French troops were killed, 8,000 wounded. The Viet Minh suffered much worse, with 8,000 dead and 12,000 wounded, but the Vietnamese victory shattered France's resolve to carry on the war. -
South Vietnam is Now Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnam declares itself the Republic of Vietnam, with newly elected Ngo Dinh Diem as president. -
Vietcong is established
The National Liberation Front (NLF), also called the Viet Cong, is established in South Vietnam. -
America gets involved
American helicopters arrive at docks in South Vietnam along with 400 U.S. personnel, who will fly and maintain the aircraft. -
McNamara visits Vietnam
Defense Secretary McNamara visits South Vietnam and reports "we are winning the war." -
Gulf of Tonkin
North Vietnamese attack two U.S. destroyers sitting in international waters. -
The U.S. responds to the Gulf of Tonkin
In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. -
The U.S. Arrives
The first U.S. troops arrive in Vietnam -
Napalm is implemented
President Johnson authorizes the use of Napalm, a petroleum based anti-personnel bomb that showers hundreds of explosive pellets upon impact. -
New York Protest
In New York, 200,000 students refuse to attend classes as a protest. -
Ho CHi Minh Dies
Ho Chi Minh dies of a heart attack at age 79. He is succeeded by Le Duan, who publicly reads the last will of Ho Chi Minh urging the North Vietnamese to fight on "until the last Yankee has gone." -
Kent State Massacre
At Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen shoot and kill four student protesters and wound nine. In response to the killings, over 400 colleges and universities across America shut down. In Washington, nearly 100,000 protesters surround various government buildings including the White House and historical monuments. On an impulse, President Nixon exits the White House and pays a late night surprise visit to the Lincoln Memorial and chats with young protesters. -
US withdraws from Cambodia
The U.S. Senate repeals the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. -
War is over
At 8:35 a.m., the last Americans, ten Marines from the embassy, depart Saigon, concluding the United States presence in Vietnam. North Vietnamese troops pour into Saigon and encounter little resistance. By 11 a.m., the red and blue Viet Cong flag flies from the presidential palace. President Minh broadcasts a message of unconditional surrender. The war is over.
