November 2

This Day in History

Also on This Day

Lead Story
Spruce Goose flies, 1947
American Revolution
John Paul Jones sets sail, 1777
Automotive
First four-cylinder, gas-powered Locomobile hits the road, 1902
Civil War
Union leader Fremont is removed from the Western Department, 1861
Cold War
Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated in South Vietnam, 1963
Crime
A nurse's aide gets life imprisonment, 1989
Disaster
Truck explosion kills 3,000 in Afghanistan, 1982
General Interest
Britain supports creation of Jewish homeland, 1917
Truman defeats Dewey, 1948
MLK federal holiday declared, 1983
Hollywood
Friends star David Schwimmer born, 1966
Literary
Lady Chatterley's Lover obscenity trial ends, 1960
Music
Miami Vice soundtrack begins an 11-week run at #1, 1985
Old West
XIT Ranch sells its last head of cattle, 1912
Presidential
James Polk is born, 1795
Warren G. Harding is born, 1865
Sports
Grete Waitz wins her eighth NYC marathon, 1986
Vietnam War
Diem murdered during coup, 1963
Johnson meets with "the Wise Men", 1967
World War I
The Balfour Declaration , 1917
World War II
British launch Operation Supercharge, 1942

Cold War

Nov 2, 1963:

Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated in South Vietnam

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Following the overthrow of his government by South Vietnamese military forces the day before, President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother are captured and killed by a group of soldiers. The death of Diem caused celebration among many people in South Vietnam, but also lead to political chaos in the nation. The United States subsequently became more heavily involved in Vietnam as it tried to stabilize the South Vietnamese government and beat back the communist rebels that were becoming an increasingly powerful threat. While the United States publicly disclaimed any knowledge of or participation in the planning of the coup that overthrew Diem, it was later revealed that American officials met with the generals who organized the plot and gave them encouragement to go through with their plans. Quite simply, Diem was perceived as an impediment to the accomplishment of U.S. goals in Southeast Asia. His increasingly dictatorial rule only succeeded in alienating most of the South Vietnamese people, and his brutal repression of protests led by Buddhist monks during the summer of 1963 convinced many American officials that the time had come for Diem to go. Three weeks later, an assassin shot President Kennedy. By then, the United States was more heavily involved in the South Vietnamese quagmire than ever. Its participation in the overthrow of the Diem regime signaled a growing impatience with South Vietnamese management of the war. From this point on, the United States moved step by step to become more directly and heavily involved in the fight against the communist rebels.

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This Week in History, Nov 2 - Nov 8

Nov 02, 1963
Ngo Dinh Diem assassinated in South Vietnam
Nov 03, 1964
Johnson defeats Goldwater for presidency
Nov 04, 1956
Soviets crush Hungarian revolt
Nov 05, 1968
Richard Nixon elected president
Nov 06, 1988
Renowned Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov visits United States
Nov 07, 1957
Gaither Report calls for more U.S. missiles and fallout shelters
Nov 08, 1960
John F. Kennedy elected president

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