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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Events this year
May 25, 1963★★★★★
Organisation of African Unity founded
Leaders of 32 independent African states founded the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa to promote unity and end colonialism on the continent.
PoliticsTreaty· Ethiopia
June 11, 1963★★★★★
Self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức
Monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself to death in Saigon in protest at the Diệm government's treatment of Buddhists; the photograph shocks the world.
ReligionPolitics· Vietnam
June 16, 1963★★★★★
Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space
Valentina Tereshkova flies into orbit aboard Vostok 6, becoming the first woman in space.
Exploration· Russia, Kazakhstan
August 28, 1963★★★★★
"I Have a Dream" speech
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Politics· United States
September 16, 1963★★★★★
Formation of Malaysia
Malaya unites with Singapore, Sabah (North Borneo) and Sarawak to form Malaysia.
Politics· Malaysia, Singapore
November 1, 1963 – November 2, 1963★★★★★
1963 South Vietnamese coup
Generals led by Dương Văn Minh overthrow President Ngô Đình Diệm, who is killed with his brother Ngô Đình Nhu the next day.
Politics· Vietnam, United States
November 22, 1963★★★★★
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
US President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.
PoliticsDeath· United States
December 12, 1963★★★★★
Kenya gains independence
Kenya became independent from Britain following the Mau Mau uprising, with Jomo Kenyatta as its first prime minister and later president.
Politics· Kenya, United Kingdom
Ongoing
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
June 30, 1960 – 1965★★★★★
Congo Crisis
Immediately after independence from Belgium, the Congo descended into secession, foreign intervention and civil war, ending when Mobutu Sese Seko seized power in 1965.
WarPolitics· DR Congo, Belgium
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