Profession: President of South Vietnam
Nationality:
Vietnamese
Why Famous: A key figure in the Vietnam War, Diem ruled over South Vietnam from 1955 until 1963.
Originally a key ally of the United States, Diem's increasing corruption and persecution of South Vietnam's majority Buddhist population led to his overthrow and assassination in a CIA-backed coup in 1963.
Born: January 3, 1901
Birthplace: Quang Binh, French Indochina
Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rat
Star Sign: Capricorn
Died: November 2, 1963 (aged 62)
Cause of Death: Assassination
Articles and Photos
Agent Orange in Vietnam
American C-123 spraying chemical defoliant, Agent Orange, on a dense Vietnamese jungle
January 12, 1962Vietnamese Monk Burns Himself Alive
Thích Quảng Đức moments after setting fire to himself in Saigon as an act of protest
June 11, 1963Execution of a Viet Cong Prisoner
General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan summarily executes Viet Cong prisoner Nguyễn Văn Lém
February 1, 1968
Historical Events
- 1954-06-16 Ngô Đình Diệm elected Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
- 1954-10-27 President Eisenhower offers aid to South Vietnam Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm
- 1955-10-26 Ngô Đình Diệm proclaims Vietnam a republic with himself as President
- 1957-05-08 South Vietnamese President, Ngô Đình Diệm, arrives in the United States on a state visit
- 1960-11-12 Coup against South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm fails
- 1962-02-27 South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm's palace bombed by dissident air pilots in a failed assassination attempt
- 1963-11-02 Ngô Đình Diệm, the President of South Vietnam, is overthrown and assassinated in a coup by the South Vietnamese Army
Bảo Đại
Ho Chi Minh
Nguyen Van Thieu
Võ Nguyên Giáp