TIMELINE OF THE VIETNAM ERA

1950
September
1953
August
1954
July
1956
February
June
July
1957
August
October
1958
March
1959
January
July
August
1961
January
November
1962
January
February
October
1963
January
August
November
December
1964
March
July
August
1965
March
August
November
1966
March
August
1967
October
November
1968
January
March
April
June
August
November
December
1969
April
May
July
September
November
1970
May
June
1971
June
1972
March
May
December
1973
January
February
March
1974
August
1975
May
1979
May
November
1980
July
1981
May
1982
November
1950
September
1
Truman sends advisory group
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1953
August
4
Eisenhower warns of ‘domino theory’
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1954
July
21
The Geneva Accords
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1956
February
22
Alabama Bus Boycott
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1956
June
8
First Official Death
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1956
July
1
Diem refuses to hold national elections
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1957
August
5
American Bandstand premieres
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1957
October
4
Soviets launch Sputnik
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1958
March
24
Elvis is drafted
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1959
January
3
Alaska became a state
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1959
July
8
First Two Americans Killed in Vietnam Conflict
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1959
August
21
Hawaii became a state
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1961
January
20
John F Kennedy became President
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1961
November
30
President Kennedy expanded American involvement in Vietnam
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1962
January
12
Operation Ranch Hand Began
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1962
February
20
John Glenn orbited Earth
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1962
October
14
Cuban Missile Crisis
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1963
January
2
Battle of Ap Bac
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1963
January
11
Buddhist protest
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1963
August
28
“I Have A Dream” Speech
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1963
November
2
Diem was assassinated
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1963
November
22
President Kennedy was assassinated
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1963
December
1
G.I. Joe debuted
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1964
March
26
Col. Floyd Thompson captured
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1964
July
2
Civil Rights Act signed
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1964
August
2
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
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1964
August
5
LT Everett Alvarez shot down
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1965
March
2
Rolling Thunder bombing campaign
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1965
March
8
First U.S. Ground Force Arrived
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1965
August
18
Operation Starlite Began
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1965
November
14
Battle of Ia Drang Valley
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1965
November
27
March on Washington for peace
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1966
March
8
Australia sent troops
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1966
August
6
President Johnson increased troops
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1967
October
21
Pentagon Protests
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1967
November
30
Deaths in Vietnam
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1968
January
21
Khe Sanh
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1968
January
30
North Vietnamese Launched Tet Offensive
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1968
March
31
President Johnson Does Not Seek Reelection
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1968
April
4
Dr. King assassinated
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1968
June
5
Robert Kennedy assassinated
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1968
August
26
Riots at Democratic National Convention
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1968
November
5
Nixon elected President
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1968
December
31
American deaths
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1969
April
15
Woodstock
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1969
April
30
Troops at peak strength in Vietnam
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1969
May
10
Battle of Hamburger Hill
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1969
July
20
Neil Armstrong sets foot on The Moon
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1969
September
3
Ho Chi Minh dies
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1969
November
12
My Lai Massacre Reaches US
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1970
May
4
Kent State shooting
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1970
June
24
Senate repeals Gulf of Tonkin
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1971
June
13
Pentagon Papers
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1971
June
22
26th Amendment signed
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1972
March
30
Easter Offensive
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1972
May
8
President Nixon orders Linebacker I
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1972
December
18
President Nixon orders Linebacker II
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1973
January
27
Draft comes to an end
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1973
February
12
POWs return to the United States
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1973
March
29
Last Combat troops leave Vietnam
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1974
August
8
President Nixon resigns
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1975
May
12
Mayaguez seized
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1979
May
28
VVMF news conference
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1979
November
8
Congress proposes legislation for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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1980
July
1
President Carter signs legislation
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1981
May
6
Maya Lin wins contest
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1982
November
13
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dedication
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