| 1935 | |
| August | Viet Minh formed. Revealed itself in May 1941. |
| 1945 | |
| September 2 | Ho Chi Minh declares the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at the end of World War II. |
| 1946 | |
| December 19 | First Indochina War between Vietnamese Communist forces with French Union forces. |
| 1955 | |
| February 12 | First US military advisors arrive in RVN. |
| July 21 | Vietnam divided at the 17th Parallel as the French withdraw. |
| 1959 | |
| January | DRV issues resolution changing its “political struggle” in RVN to an “armed struggle.” |
| June | DRV begins developing the Ho Chi Minh Trail to RVN. |
| October | Communist Party and Viet Minh outlawed by RVN. |
| 1960 | |
| December 20 | National Liberation Front (VC) formed. |
| 1961 | |
| May 5 | US announces support troops will be deployed to RVN. |
| 1962 | |
| January 1 | People’s Revolutionary Party established in RVN. |
| 1964 | |
| August 2–4 | US destroyers attacked by DRV torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. |
| August 7 | US Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to counter DRV aggression. |
| December | First NVA regiment deployed to RVN. |
| 1965 | |
| February 7 | US authorizes air attacks on DRV commencing February 24. |
| March 8 | First US Marine ground combat troops arrive in RVN. |
| April 6 | US ground troops authorized to conduct offensive operations. Publicly announced June 8. |
| May 7 | First US Army conventional ground combat troops arrive in RVN. |
| 1966 | |
| June | First full NVA division deployed to RVN. |
| October 25 | US offers to withdraw all troops six months after DRV withdraws from RVN. Rejected by DRV. |
| 1968 | |
| January 30 | VC and NVA initiate Tet Offensive, which ends February 26 with heavy VC/NVA losses. |
| March 31 | US announces de-escalation of its war effort and halts bombing of North Vietnam. |
| May 12 | Peace talks begin in Paris. |
| September | “Mini Tet” Offensive launched by remaining VC is defeated. |
| 1969 | |
| June 8 | US initiates Vietnamization Program to turn the war effort over completely to RVN. |
| July 1 | First US Army units commence withdrawal. |
| September 2 | Ho Chi Minh dies. |
| 1970 | |
| April 29 | Free World offensive operations into Cambodia to neutralize NVA/VC sanctuaries. |
| 1971 | |
| August 18 | Last Australian and New Zealand troops withdraw. |
| 1972 | |
| March 30 | NVA Easter Offensive (Nguyen Hue campaign) commences, lasting most of the year. |
| 1973 | |
| January 15 | US announces halt of all offensive ground actions. |
| January 27 | Ceasefire agreement is signed in Paris. |
| March 29 | Last US troops withdraw. |
| 1974 | |
| December 13 | Ho Chi Minh campaign commences, planned to eventually defeat RVN by May 1, 1975. |
| 1975 | |
| March 10 | NVA Campaign 275 to seize the Central Highlands commences. ARVN crumbles and campaign goals are extended. |
| April 30 | Saigon falls to NVA. |
| Mid-May | DRV officially makes it clear the NLF and PRA have no part in the new Vietnam. |
| 1976 | |
| July 2 | North and South Vietnam officially unified. |