1954
- Battle of Dien Bien Phu (March-May 1954)
- Geneva Accords (July 1954)
1955
- Ngo Dinh Diem becomes President of South Vietnam (July 1955)
1957
- Viet Cong insurgency begins (November 1957)
1961
- John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States (January 1961)
- Kennedy authorizes increased military aid to South Vietnam (May 1961)
1962
- Strategic Hamlet Program begins (February 1962)
- United States begins defoliation campaign (August 1962)
1963
- Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated (November 1963)
- Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President of the United States (November 1963)
1964
- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (August 1964)
- United States begins bombing of North Vietnam (August 1964)
1965
- United States ground troops deployed to South Vietnam (March 1965)
- Operation Rolling Thunder begins (March 1965)
- Battle of Ia Drang (November 1965)
1966
- Operation Cedar Falls (January-February 1967)
- Operation Junction City (February-May 1967)
- Operation Prairie Fire (May-June 1967)
1968
- Tet Offensive (January-March 1968)
- Battle of Khe Sanh (January-April 1968)
- My Lai Massacre (March 1968)
- Paris Peace Talks begin (May 1968)
1969
- Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States (January 1969)
- Nixon announces withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam (June 1969)
- Operation Menu (July 1969)
1970
- Cambodian Campaign (April-June 1970)
- Kent State shootings (May 1970)
1971
- Operation Lam Son 719 (February-March 1971)
- Pentagon Papers published (June 1971)
1972
- Easter Offensive (March-October 1972)
- Christmas bombings (December 1972)
1973
- Paris Peace Accords signed (January 1973)
- United States withdraws all troops from Vietnam (March 1973)
1975
- Fall of Saigon (April 30, 1975)
- Vietnam War ends