When did Vietnam start?

Following years of unrest in the region, the Vietnam War started in 1954. The conflict began with the communist North Vietnamese aiding South Vietnamese rebels, the 'Viet Cong,' in battle against South Vietnamese troops.

An ally of the South Vietnamese, U.S. involvement peaked from 1965 to 1968 and represented the largest foreign military presence in the war. The war officially ended on April 30, 1975 with the surrender of South Vietnamese troops at Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City. The last American soldiers left South Vietnam in March 1973; the United States suffered roughly 58,000 casualties during the war.