1930: Ho Chi Minh helped to form the Indo-Chinese Communist Party
1941: Vietminh was formed to counter the Japenese invasion of Vietnam
1945: Japan gave Vietnam to the Vietminh and Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and French troops arrived back in Vietnam
1946: War erupted between the French and Vietminh
1949: Communist China allowed the Vietminh to train in China, away from the French
1950: Truman would not recognise the Democratic Republic of Vietnam but China and the USSR recognised Ho's state.
1954: The Battle of Dien Bein Phu
1955: Ngo Dinh Diem became President of South Vietnam. America would train Diem's army.
1956: Diem began arresting people suspected of being in the Vietminh.
1957: The Vietminh started a campign of guerrilla warfare in South Vietnam.
1959: American military advisors killed in Vietnam. The first US casualities.
1960: National Liberation Front was formed, they were known as the Vietcong.
1961: President FRD pledged extra aid to South Vietnam.
1962: Number of US military advisors rose from 700 to 12,000.
1963: Diem was killed in a military coup. 15,000 US military advisors were present in South Vietnam.
1964: America bombs targets in North Vietnam and the National Liberation Front attacks US air bases.
1965: Operation Rolling Thunder started. By the end of the year there were 200,000 US troops in Vietnam.
1967: 490,000 US troops in Vietnam. Nguyen Van Thieu became president of South Vietnam.
1968: Anti-Vietnam demonstrations, riots and parades begin on the American homefront.
1969: Nixon ordered the secret bombing of Cambodia and announced the start of US troop withdrawals. Ho Chi Minh dies.
1970: 280,000 troops in Vietnam
1971: 140,000 troops in Vietnam
1973: Ceasfire signed in Paris, called the Paris Peace Accords. Last US troops left Vietnam and US POW's are released
1982: Vietnam Veterans Memorial unveiled in Washington D.C.
1941: Vietminh was formed to counter the Japenese invasion of Vietnam
1945: Japan gave Vietnam to the Vietminh and Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and French troops arrived back in Vietnam
1946: War erupted between the French and Vietminh
1949: Communist China allowed the Vietminh to train in China, away from the French
1950: Truman would not recognise the Democratic Republic of Vietnam but China and the USSR recognised Ho's state.
1954: The Battle of Dien Bein Phu
1955: Ngo Dinh Diem became President of South Vietnam. America would train Diem's army.
1956: Diem began arresting people suspected of being in the Vietminh.
1957: The Vietminh started a campign of guerrilla warfare in South Vietnam.
1959: American military advisors killed in Vietnam. The first US casualities.
1960: National Liberation Front was formed, they were known as the Vietcong.
1961: President FRD pledged extra aid to South Vietnam.
1962: Number of US military advisors rose from 700 to 12,000.
1963: Diem was killed in a military coup. 15,000 US military advisors were present in South Vietnam.
1964: America bombs targets in North Vietnam and the National Liberation Front attacks US air bases.
1965: Operation Rolling Thunder started. By the end of the year there were 200,000 US troops in Vietnam.
1967: 490,000 US troops in Vietnam. Nguyen Van Thieu became president of South Vietnam.
1968: Anti-Vietnam demonstrations, riots and parades begin on the American homefront.
1969: Nixon ordered the secret bombing of Cambodia and announced the start of US troop withdrawals. Ho Chi Minh dies.
1970: 280,000 troops in Vietnam
1971: 140,000 troops in Vietnam
1973: Ceasfire signed in Paris, called the Paris Peace Accords. Last US troops left Vietnam and US POW's are released
1982: Vietnam Veterans Memorial unveiled in Washington D.C.