3000-1000 B.C.

Roaming tribes from southern China move into an area called the Red River Delta, where many Indonesian people are already living. Together, they form the earliest ancestors of today's Vietnamese people.

207 B.C.

A Chinese general establishes the independent kingdom of Nam-Viet. It is made up of what is today northern Vietnam and parts of southern China.

111 B.C.

The rulers of China's Han dynasty conquer Nam-Viet and make it part of the Chinese empire. China rules over the Vietnamese for more than 1,000 years afterward. While they are heavily influenced by Chinese arts, religions, politics and farming, the Vietnamese work hard to preserve their unique national identity.

939

The Vietnamese people seize their independence from the Chinese emperors.

1802

Prince Nguyen Anh unites the northern, central and southern regions of his country and calls it Vietnam. The prince and the emperors who follow establish programs to build new bridges and castles and restore old structures.

1847

Angered by Vietnam's positions against business deals and Catholic missionaries, the French launch their first major attack. They fire upon the Vietnamese at the port of Danang, a city in central Vietnam.

1883

France takes control of Vietnam. In 1887, it becomes a French colony. The French take charge of Vietnam's farmlands, minerals and other natural resources. They also introduce the Vietnamese to European schooling and customs.

1940

After surrendering to Germany earlier in World War II, France loses control of Vietnam to Japan. Groups of Vietnamese rebels gain control over areas of Vietnam and fight Japan's efforts to create an empire in eastern Asia.

1946

France tries to regain control of Vietnam after Japan's defeat in World War II. French troops begin an eight-year struggle with Vietnamese forces.

1954

Vietnam defeats the French. At a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, representatives from Vietnam, France, the U.S. and other nations decide to divide Vietnam into two parts -- the Communist-ruled north and a republic in the south -- until elections can be held to unite them both under one government.

1959

Communists supported by North Vietnam cause conflict in South Vietnam. This conflict between the two halves of Vietnam marks the beginning of the Vietnam War.

1975

South Vietnam surrenders to Communist North Vietnam. North and South Vietnam are united in 1976 under Communist leadership.

1982

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. It is a wall of polished black granite engraved with the names of all the soldiers who died in the Vietnam War or are missing.

1993

The U.S. and Vietnam successfully work together to recover the remains of American soldiers missing since the war.

1995

The U.S. and Vietnam restore diplomatic ties.

2008–2010

The government places tighter sanctions on the media. Many journalists are jailed for printing pro-democracy and antigovernment articles.