World History Timeline

Timeline

204 events

19th century

  1. 1867★★★★★

    France annexes western Cochinchina

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

    WarPolitics· Vietnam, France
  2. August 27, 1883★★★★★

    Eruption of Krakatoa

    The cataclysmic eruption of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait triggers tsunamis killing over 36,000 people; the explosion is heard thousands of kilometres away.

    Disaster· Indonesia
  3. June 6, 1884★★★★★

    Treaty of Huế (1884)

    The treaty places Tonkin and Annam under French protectorate.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France
  4. 1885★★★★★

    Third Anglo-Burmese War

    Britain takes Mandalay and deposes King Thibaw, ending the Konbaung dynasty and annexing all of Burma to British India.

    WarPolitics· Myanmar, United Kingdom
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. December 30, 1896★★★★★

    Execution of José Rizal

    Filipino writer and patriot José Rizal is executed by Spanish colonial authorities in Manila, galvanising the Philippine Revolution.

    DeathRevolution· Philippines, Spain
  10. April 1898 – December 10, 1898★★★★★

    Spanish–American War

    The United States defeats Spain, gaining Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, while Cuba is freed from Spanish rule.

    War· United States, Spain, Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico
  11. June 12, 1898★★★★★

    Philippine Declaration of Independence

    Emilio Aguinaldo proclaims the independence of the Philippines from Spain at Kawit, Cavite.

    RevolutionPolitics· Philippines, Spain
  12. 1899 – 1902★★★★★

    Philippine–American War

    After Spain cedes the Philippines to the United States, forces of the Philippine Republic fight American rule but are defeated.

    War· Philippines, United States

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. June 24, 1932★★★★★

    Siamese revolution of 1932

    The People's Party (Khana Ratsadon) stages a bloodless coup, transforming Siam from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

    RevolutionPolitics· Thailand
  11. 1940★★★★★

    Death of Phan Bội Châu

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

    Death· Vietnam
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. February 15, 1942★★★★★

    Fall of Singapore

    British forces in Singapore surrender to Japan, the largest capitulation in British military history, beginning the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

    War· Singapore, United Kingdom, Japan
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. August 17, 1945★★★★★

    Proclamation of Indonesian Independence

    Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaim Indonesia's independence in Jakarta, beginning the revolution against Dutch rule.

    RevolutionPolitics· Indonesia
  19. 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
  20. 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
  22. 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
  23. January 4, 1948★★★★★

    Independence of Burma

    The Union of Burma becomes independent from Britain, choosing not to join the Commonwealth.

    Politics· Myanmar, United Kingdom
  24. 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
  25. December 27, 1949★★★★★

    Netherlands transfers sovereignty to Indonesia

    Following the Hague Round Table Conference, the Netherlands formally transfers sovereignty to the United States of Indonesia, ending the Indonesian National Revolution.

    TreatyPolitics· Indonesia, Netherlands
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. July 21, 1954★★★★★

    Geneva Accords on Indochina

    The Geneva Conference ends the First Indochina War, temporarily partitioning Vietnam at the 17th parallel pending elections planned for 1956.

    Treaty· Vietnam, France, Laos, Cambodia, Switzerland
  30. October 10, 1954★★★★★

    Việt Minh takes over Hanoi

    The Vietnam People's Army takes control of Hanoi as French forces withdraw under the Geneva Accords.

    Politics· Vietnam, France
  31. April 18, 1955 – April 24, 1955★★★★★

    Bandung Conference

    Delegates from 29 Asian and African nations meet in Bandung to promote Afro-Asian cooperation and oppose colonialism, a forerunner of the Non-Aligned Movement.

    Politics· Indonesia
  32. October 26, 1955★★★★★

    Proclamation of the Republic of Vietnam

    After the 23 October referendum deposing Bảo Đại, Ngô Đình Diệm proclaims the Republic of Vietnam with himself as president.

    Politics· Vietnam
  33. 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
  34. August 31, 1957★★★★★

    Independence of the Federation of Malaya

    Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaims the Federation of Malaya's independence from Britain at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

    Politics· Malaysia, United Kingdom
  35. 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
  36. 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
  37. 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
  38. 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
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