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Ho Chi Minh is born.
Ho Chi Min would go on to lead the North Vietnamese as a Communist threat against the South. This conflict brought the US into a bloody war, which many were opposed to. -
Vietnam declares independence from France, but neither France nor the United States recognizes Vietnam as a separate nation.
In 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent of French colonization. North Vietnam became a Communist nation under Minh, while the South was seized by French forces. The Viet Minh fought against the French and pushed them out of Vietnam. -
President Eisenhower declares "Domino Theory."
President Eisenhower's theory influenced the global stance the U.S. had for many upcoming years and conflicts. Basically, he believed that another nation falling to Communism would lead to a Communist takeover of Asia. With the threat of this looming over Vietnam, the US sent troops to help the South defeat it. -
The Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu.
The French are defeated by the forces of Ho Chi Minh, which ends the colonial influence of France in Indochina. In the U.S., President Eisenhower vetoed a proposal to get involved in another Asian land war after the Korean War. -
The Geneva Accords cause Vietnam to be split into North and South.
The Geneva Accords split Vietnam into a North and South along the 17th Parallel. The North, led by Ho Chi Minh, rose as a Communist nation, while the South was more democratic and took Western ideas. -
Ngo Dinh Diem cancels elections in Vietnam.
Noticing his popularity didn't match Ho Chi Minh's, Diem cancelled the elections in Vietnam. Most likely, these elections would've brought the North and South together under Communist Minh, and Diem would've lost power. -
The National Liberation Front is formed.
The National Liberation Front, also known as the Viet Cong, were Communists who occupied South Vietnam. These radicals assassinated thousands of government officials in South Vietnam during this time. -
The United States withdraws support of Ngo Dinh Diem, leader of South Vietnam.
At first, Diem's Catholicism and similar ideas to Western nations persuaded the U.S. to support him. But, after government forces killed several Buddhists at a rally, the U.S. withdrew their support of Diem. Shortly after, Diem was assassinated in November of that same year. -
A South Vietnamese Monk sets himself on fire.
At a busy intersection in Saigon, Buddhist Thích Quảng Đức set himself on fire. He was protesting the prosecution of Buddhists in South Vietnam by Diem's government. His protest gained worldwide attention and made some look into the policies of Diem's government. -
President Kennedy is assassinated, leading to the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald. If this hadn't happened, there was a very high chance that Kennedy would've pulled troops out of Vietnam, since he didn't believe it was there fight to fight. -
President Johnson claims a U.S. ship had been fired upon by the North Vietnamese.
President Johnson claimed that the USS Maddox was fired upon by the North Vietnamese. However, the stories from the crew differed, and it is unknown if this is fully true. In response, President Johnson ordered air strikes on North Vietnam. -
The first combat troops arrive in Vietnam.
The first combat troops with the goal to aid the South Vietnamese against the Communist North arrive in Vietnam. However, U.S. military advisors were sent to Vietnam in May of 1961 by President Kennedy.
