World History Timeline

Countries / Southeast Asia

History of Vietnam

151 notable historical events in Vietnam, in chronological order.

War · 58Politics · 60Dynasty · 16Treaty · 8Revolution · 8Technology · 3Religion · 5Culture · 14Art · 3Economy · 6Disaster · 3Birth · 4Death · 15

29th century BCE

  1. c. 2879 BCE★★★★★

    Legendary founding of Văn Lang by the Hùng kings

    According to Vietnamese historiographical tradition, the Hồng Bàng dynasty was founded in 2879 BCE and the Hùng kings ruled Văn Lang; the date is legendary.

    DynastyPolitics· Vietnam

10th century BCE

  1. c. 10th century BCE – c. 1st century★★★★★

    Đông Sơn culture

    A Bronze Age and early Iron Age culture of the Red River valley and north-central Vietnam, famous for its bronze drums.

    CultureTechnology· Vietnam

3rd century BCE

  1. c. 257 BCE – c. 179 BCE★★★★★

    An Dương Vương founds Âu Lạc

    Thục Phán (An Dương Vương) unites the Âu Việt and Lạc Việt into the kingdom of Âu Lạc, with its capital at Cổ Loa; 257 BCE is the traditional date.

    PoliticsDynasty· Vietnam

2nd century BCE

  1. c. 179 BCE★★★★★

    Nanyue conquers Âu Lạc

    Zhao Tuo, king of Nanyue, conquers Âu Lạc and incorporates it into Nanyue; traditionally dated to 179 BCE.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, China

1st century

  1. 40 – 43★★★★★

    Trưng Sisters' uprising

    Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị lead a revolt against the Eastern Han and rule Jiaozhi independently, with Trưng Trắc proclaimed queen.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam
  2. c. 1st century★★★★★

    Rise of the kingdom of Funan

    Funan emerges in the lower Mekong region, becoming a hub of maritime trade between India and China.

    PoliticsEconomy· Cambodia, Vietnam

2nd century

  1. c. 192★★★★★

    Founding of Linyi (Champa)

    A revolt against Han rule in Rinan commandery founds the kingdom of Linyi, the precursor of Champa in central Vietnam.

    Politics· Vietnam

3rd century

  1. 248★★★★★

    Uprising of Lady Triệu

    Triệu Thị Trinh leads an uprising against Eastern Wu rule in Jiuzhen.

    War· Vietnam

6th century

  1. 544★★★★★

    Lý Bí founds Vạn Xuân

    After expelling the Liang, Lý Bí proclaims himself Emperor Lý Nam Đế of the state of Vạn Xuân.

    DynastyPolitics· Vietnam

8th century

  1. 722★★★★★

    Mai Thúc Loan's uprising

    Mai Thúc Loan rebels against Tang rule in Hoan Châu and proclaims himself emperor before the revolt is suppressed.

    War· Vietnam, China

10th century

  1. 905★★★★★

    Khúc Thừa Dụ establishes self-rule

    Taking advantage of Tang decline, Khúc Thừa Dụ seizes Tống Bình and takes the title of military governor, beginning Vietnamese self-rule.

    Politics· Vietnam
  2. 938★★★★★

    Battle of Bạch Đằng (938)

    Ngô Quyền defeats the Southern Han fleet on the Bạch Đằng River using hidden stakes, ending a millennium of Chinese rule.

    War· Vietnam, China
  3. 939★★★★★

    Ngô Quyền proclaims himself king

    After his victory at Bạch Đằng, Ngô Quyền proclaims himself king with his capital at Cổ Loa, inaugurating lasting independence.

    DynastyPolitics· Vietnam
  4. c. 944 – 968★★★★★

    Anarchy of the 12 Warlords

    After the decline of the Ngô dynasty, the country fragments among rival warlords until Đinh Bộ Lĩnh reunifies it in 968.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam
  5. 944★★★★★

    Death of Ngô Quyền

    Ngô Quyền dies; the Ngô dynasty weakens amid succession disputes.

    Death· Vietnam
  6. 968★★★★★

    Đinh Bộ Lĩnh founds Đại Cồ Việt

    Đinh Bộ Lĩnh ends the Anarchy of the 12 Warlords, takes the throne and names the state Đại Cồ Việt, with its capital at Hoa Lư.

    DynastyPolitics· Vietnam
  7. 979★★★★★

    Assassination of Đinh Bộ Lĩnh

    Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng and his eldest son Đinh Liễn are assassinated at the capital Hoa Lư.

    DeathPolitics· Vietnam
  9. 981★★★★★

    Lê Hoàn repels the Song invasion

    Forces of Đại Cồ Việt under Lê Hoàn defeat a Song dynasty invasion, including an engagement on the Bạch Đằng River.

    War· Vietnam, China

11th century

  3. 1049★★★★★

    One Pillar Pagoda built

    Emperor Lý Thái Tông has the One Pillar Pagoda built in Thăng Long; it becomes an emblem of Hanoi.

    ReligionArt· Vietnam
  4. 1054★★★★★

    Country renamed Đại Việt

    Emperor Lý Thánh Tông renames the country from Đại Cồ Việt to Đại Việt, the name used for most of the following centuries.

    Politics· Vietnam
  5. 1070★★★★★

    Temple of Literature founded

    Emperor Lý Thánh Tông founds the Temple of Literature in Thăng Long, dedicated to Confucius.

    CultureReligion· Vietnam
  9. 1077★★★★★

    Battle of Như Nguyệt River

    Lý Thường Kiệt halts the Song invasion at the Như Nguyệt (Cầu) River; tradition links the poem "Nam quốc sơn hà" to the battle.

    War· Vietnam, China

13th century

  1. 1225★★★★★

    Trần dynasty replaces the Lý

    Empress Lý Chiêu Hoàng cedes the throne to her husband Trần Cảnh (Trần Thái Tông), founding the Trần dynasty under the regency of Trần Thủ Độ.

    Dynasty· Vietnam
  2. 1258★★★★★

    First Mongol invasion of Đại Việt

    Mongol forces under Uriyangqadai occupy Thăng Long but withdraw after the Battle of Đông Bộ Đầu.

    War· Vietnam, China, Mongolia
  5. 1288★★★★★

    Battle of Bạch Đằng (1288)

    Trần Hưng Đạo destroys the Yuan fleet on the Bạch Đằng River, ending the third Mongol invasion of Đại Việt.

    War· Vietnam, China, Mongolia
  6. 1300★★★★★

    Death of Trần Hưng Đạo

    Trần Hưng Đạo, commander of Đại Việt's resistance to the Mongol invasions, dies.

    Death· Vietnam

14th century

  1. 1306★★★★★

    Princess Huyền Trân marries the king of Champa

    Princess Huyền Trân marries King Jaya Simhavarman III of Champa, who cedes the districts of Ô and Lý (around modern Quảng Trị and Huế) to Đại Việt.

    PoliticsTreaty· Vietnam
  2. 1308★★★★★

    Death of Trần Nhân Tông

    Retired emperor Trần Nhân Tông, founder of the Trúc Lâm school of Zen Buddhism, dies on Mount Yên Tử.

    DeathReligion· Vietnam
  3. 1371★★★★★

    Champa sacks Thăng Long

    Cham forces under King Po Binasuor (Chế Bồng Nga) sack the Đại Việt capital Thăng Long.

    War· Vietnam
  4. 1380★★★★★

    Birth of Nguyễn Trãi

    Nguyễn Trãi, scholar, poet and strategist of the Lam Sơn uprising, is born.

    Birth· Vietnam
  5. 1397★★★★★

    Citadel of the Hồ dynasty built

    Hồ Quý Ly builds the stone citadel of Tây Đô in Thanh Hóa, later a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2011).

    ArtPolitics· Vietnam
  6. 1400★★★★★

    Hồ Quý Ly founds the Hồ dynasty

    Hồ Quý Ly deposes the Trần, founds the Hồ dynasty, renames the country Đại Ngu and launches sweeping reforms.

    DynastyPolitics· Vietnam

15th century

  1. 1406 – 1407★★★★★

    Ming conquest of Đại Ngu

    Ming forces defeat the Hồ dynasty (1406–1407) and annex the country as the province of Jiaozhi.

    War· Vietnam, China
  2. 1418 – 1427★★★★★

    Lam Sơn uprising

    Lê Lợi launches a revolt at Lam Sơn (Thanh Hóa) against Ming rule; the ten-year struggle restores independence.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam, China
  4. 1427★★★★★

    Battle of Chi Lăng – Xương Giang

    Lam Sơn forces destroy the Ming relief army, killing its commander Liu Sheng and forcing the Ming to withdraw.

    War· Vietnam, China
  5. 1428★★★★★

    Lê Lợi defeats the Ming; Bình Ngô đại cáo

    The Lam Sơn uprising triumphs over the Ming; Lê Lợi founds the Later Lê dynasty and Nguyễn Trãi writes the proclamation "Bình Ngô đại cáo".

    WarDynastyCulture· Vietnam, China
  6. 1428★★★★★

    Lê Lợi founds the Later Lê dynasty

    Lê Lợi is enthroned as Emperor Lê Thái Tổ in Thăng Long, restoring the name Đại Việt and founding the Later Lê dynasty.

    Dynasty· Vietnam
  7. 1433★★★★★

    Death of Lê Lợi

    Lê Lợi (Lê Thái Tổ), leader of the Lam Sơn uprising and founder of the Later Lê dynasty, dies.

    Death· Vietnam
  9. 1460 – 1497★★★★★

    Accession of Lê Thánh Tông

    Lê Thánh Tông takes the throne; his reign (1460–1497) is regarded as a golden age of Đại Việt, with major administrative and legal reforms.

    Politics· Vietnam

16th century

17th century

  1. 1627 – 1672★★★★★

    Trịnh–Nguyễn War

    A protracted war between the Trịnh lords in the north and the Nguyễn lords in the south ends with the country divided at the Gianh River.

    War· Vietnam
  3. 1698★★★★★

    Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh establishes Gia Định

    Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, sent by the Nguyễn lord, organises the administration of Gia Định; the year is often taken as the founding of Saigon.

    Politics· Vietnam

18th century

  1. 1766★★★★★

    Birth of Nguyễn Du

    Nguyễn Du, author of The Tale of Kiều, is born.

    Birth· Vietnam
  2. 1771★★★★★

    Tây Sơn rebellion begins

    The brothers Nguyễn Nhạc, Nguyễn Huệ and Nguyễn Lữ rise in revolt at Tây Sơn (Bình Định), eventually overthrowing both the Nguyễn and Trịnh lords.

    RevolutionWar· Vietnam
  6. 1792★★★★★

    Death of Emperor Quang Trung

    Emperor Quang Trung dies suddenly; the Tây Sơn dynasty declines rapidly afterwards.

    Death· Vietnam

19th century

  2. 1804★★★★★

    The name Việt Nam adopted

    Emperor Gia Long adopts the name Việt Nam for the country, with Qing approval.

    Politics· Vietnam
  3. c. 1810s★★★★★

    Nguyễn Du composes The Tale of Kiều

    Nguyễn Du writes The Tale of Kiều, a 3,254-line poem in lục bát verse regarded as the masterpiece of Vietnamese literature; the exact date of composition is uncertain.

    CultureArt· Vietnam
  6. 1833 – 1835★★★★★

    Lê Văn Khôi revolt

    Lê Văn Khôi seizes the citadel of Gia Định in revolt against Emperor Minh Mạng; the uprising is crushed in 1835.

    War· Vietnam
  7. September 1, 1858★★★★★

    Franco-Spanish attack on Đà Nẵng

    A Franco-Spanish force attacks Đà Nẵng, beginning the French conquest of Vietnam.

    War· Vietnam, France, Spain
  8. June 5, 1862★★★★★

    Treaty of Saigon

    The Nguyễn court cedes three eastern provinces of Cochinchina to France.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France
  9. 1867★★★★★

    France annexes western Cochinchina

    France seizes Vĩnh Long, An Giang and Hà Tiên, completing the colony of French Cochinchina.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, France
  10. June 6, 1884★★★★★

    Treaty of Huế (1884)

    The treaty places Tonkin and Annam under French protectorate.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France
  11. July 1885 – 1896★★★★★

    Cần Vương movement

    After a failed attack on the French at Huế, Emperor Hàm Nghi flees the capital and issues an edict calling for resistance to French rule.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam, France
  12. October 1887★★★★★

    Formation of French Indochina

    France creates the Indochinese Union of Cochinchina, Annam, Tonkin and Cambodia; Laos is added in 1893.

    Politics· Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, France
  13. May 19, 1890★★★★★

    Birth of Hồ Chí Minh

    Nguyễn Sinh Cung, later known as Hồ Chí Minh, is born in Nghệ An province.

    Birth· Vietnam
  14. 1895★★★★★

    Death of Phan Đình Phùng

    Phan Đình Phùng, leader of the Hương Khê uprising, dies, marking the end of the Cần Vương movement.

    DeathWar· Vietnam

20th century

  1. 1905 – 1909★★★★★

    Đông Du movement

    Phan Bội Châu organises sending young Vietnamese to study in Japan to prepare for the independence struggle.

    PoliticsCulture· Vietnam, Japan
  2. 1907★★★★★

    Tonkin Free School

    Reformist scholars open the Tonkin Free School in Hanoi to promote modern learning and the quốc ngữ script; the French close it within the year.

    CulturePolitics· Vietnam
  3. June 5, 1911★★★★★

    Nguyễn Tất Thành leaves Vietnam

    Nguyễn Tất Thành (later Hồ Chí Minh) leaves Saigon as a kitchen hand aboard the Amiral Latouche-Tréville, bound for France.

    Politics· Vietnam, France
  4. August 25, 1911★★★★★

    Birth of Võ Nguyên Giáp

    Võ Nguyên Giáp, later commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People's Army, is born in Quảng Bình.

    Birth· Vietnam
  5. 1926★★★★★

    Founding of Caodaism

    Caodaism, a syncretic religion, is formally founded in Cochinchina, with its Holy See at Tây Ninh.

    Religion· Vietnam
  6. 1926★★★★★

    Death of Phan Châu Trinh

    Reformist Phan Châu Trinh dies in Saigon; his funeral becomes a nationwide patriotic demonstration.

    Death· Vietnam
  8. February 3, 1930★★★★★

    Founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam

    A conference chaired by Nguyễn Ái Quốc (Hồ Chí Minh) in Hong Kong merges Vietnamese communist groups into the Communist Party of Vietnam.

    Politics· Vietnam, Hong Kong
  9. February 10, 1930★★★★★

    Yên Bái mutiny

    Vietnamese colonial soldiers organised by the VNQDĐ mutiny at Yên Bái; the revolt fails and Nguyễn Thái Học is executed.

    WarRevolution· Vietnam, France
  10. 1940★★★★★

    Death of Phan Bội Châu

    Nationalist leader Phan Bội Châu dies in Huế after years under French house arrest.

    Death· Vietnam
  11. September 22, 1940 – September 26, 1940★★★★★

    Japanese invasion of French Indochina

    Japanese forces attack Lạng Sơn and land near Haiphong, compelling the French administration to accept Japanese bases in Tonkin.

    War· Vietnam, Japan, France
  12. May 19, 1941★★★★★

    Founding of the Việt Minh

    At Pác Bó, Hồ Chí Minh presides over the founding of the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Việt Minh).

    PoliticsRevolution· Vietnam
  13. 1944 – 1945★★★★★

    Vietnamese famine of 1945

    A famine in northern Vietnam under French and Japanese rule kills an estimated 400,000 to 2 million people.

    Disaster· Vietnam
  14. March 9, 1945★★★★★

    Japanese coup in French Indochina

    Japan overthrows the French administration in Indochina; Bảo Đại then proclaims the Empire of Vietnam with Trần Trọng Kim as prime minister.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, Japan, France
  15. August 1945★★★★★

    Abdication of Bảo Đại

    Bảo Đại, the last Nguyễn emperor, abdicates and hands the imperial seal and sword to the revolutionary government at Huế, ending the monarchy.

    PoliticsDynasty· Vietnam
  16. August 19, 1945★★★★★

    August Revolution

    The Việt Minh seize power in Hanoi on 19 August, then in Huế and Saigon; Emperor Bảo Đại abdicates at the end of the month.

    Revolution· Vietnam
  17. September 2, 1945★★★★★

    Vietnamese Declaration of Independence

    Hồ Chí Minh reads the Declaration of Independence at Ba Đình Square, proclaiming the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

    PoliticsRevolution· Vietnam
  18. December 19, 1946 – 1954★★★★★

    First Indochina War

    War between the Việt Minh and France breaks out in Hanoi and lasts until the Geneva Accords of 1954.

    War· Vietnam, France, Laos, Cambodia
  19. 1949★★★★★

    State of Vietnam established

    France establishes the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with former emperor Bảo Đại as head of state.

    Politics· Vietnam, France
  20. 1953 – 1956★★★★★

    Land reform in North Vietnam

    A land reform campaign in the North redistributes land, accompanied by many executions; the government later acknowledges errors and launches a rectification in 1956.

    PoliticsEconomy· Vietnam
  21. 1954 – 1955★★★★★

    Operation Passage to Freedom

    During the 300-day free-movement period after the Geneva Accords, roughly 800,000 to one million people, many of them Catholics, move from North to South Vietnam.

    Politics· Vietnam, United States, France
History of Vietnam · World History Timeline