World History Timeline

Timeline

58 events

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

3rd century

  1. 248★★★★★

    Uprising of Lady Triệu

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

    War· 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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

  2. 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. 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
  3. 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

14th century

  1. 1371★★★★★

    Champa sacks Thăng Long

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

    War· 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

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

18th century

  1. 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

19th century

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 1867★★★★★

    France annexes western Cochinchina

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

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, France
  4. 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
  5. 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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. March 13, 1954 – May 7, 1954★★★★★

    Battle of Điện Biên Phủ

    The Việt Minh assault the French garrison at Điện Biên Phủ; their victory on 7 May leads to the Geneva Accords.

    War· Vietnam, France
  6. November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975★★★★★

    Vietnam War

    A conflict between North Vietnam and the Viet Cong on one side and South Vietnam, backed by the United States and its allies, on the other; it ends with the fall of Saigon in 1975.

    War· Vietnam, United States, Laos, Cambodia
  7. 1959★★★★★

    Ho Chi Minh trail established

    North Vietnam forms Group 559 to build a supply network through Laos and Cambodia to the South along the Trường Sơn range.

    War· Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
  8. December 20, 1960★★★★★

    National Liberation Front founded

    The National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) is founded to oppose the South Vietnamese government.

    PoliticsWar· Vietnam
  9. 1962 – 1971★★★★★

    Operation Ranch Hand

    The US Air Force sprays herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, over large areas of South Vietnam, with lasting health and environmental effects.

    WarDisaster· Vietnam, United States
  10. January 2, 1963★★★★★

    Battle of Ấp Bắc

    A smaller Viet Cong force repels an attack by South Vietnamese troops with US advisers near Mỹ Tho.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  11. August 2, 1964 – August 7, 1964★★★★★

    Gulf of Tonkin incident

    A clash between USS Maddox and North Vietnamese torpedo boats leads Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, enabling US escalation.

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, United States
  12. March 2, 1965 – November 2, 1968★★★★★

    Operation Rolling Thunder

    A sustained US aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  13. March 8, 1965★★★★★

    US Marines land at Đà Nẵng

    Two battalions of US Marines land at Đà Nẵng, the first American ground combat units deployed to Vietnam.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  14. November 14, 1965 – November 18, 1965★★★★★

    Battle of Ia Drang

    The first major battle between US Army forces and the North Vietnamese army, fought in the Central Highlands.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  15. January 21, 1968 – July 9, 1968★★★★★

    Battle of Khe Sanh

    North Vietnamese forces besiege the US Marine base at Khe Sanh in Quảng Trị; US forces abandon the base in July.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  16. January 30, 1968 – September 1968★★★★★

    Tet Offensive

    North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces attack more than 100 cities and towns in the South; despite heavy losses, the offensive erodes US public support for the war.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  17. March 16, 1968★★★★★

    Mỹ Lai massacre

    US soldiers of Charlie Company kill hundreds of unarmed civilians at Sơn Mỹ, Quảng Ngãi; the killings become public in 1969.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  18. March 30, 1972 – October 1972★★★★★

    Easter Offensive

    North Vietnam launches a large conventional offensive on three fronts in the South, including prolonged fighting at Quảng Trị.

    War· Vietnam, United States
  19. December 18, 1972 – December 29, 1972★★★★★

    Operation Linebacker II

    The United States carries out intensive B-52 bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong for twelve days, known in Vietnam as the "Điện Biên Phủ in the air".

    War· Vietnam, United States
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