Answer:
The incident in the Gulf of Tonkin that prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to bomb North Vietnam was the Gulf of Tonkin incident on August 4, 1964. This incident involved reports of an alleged attack on U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy, by North Vietnamese naval vessels. In response to these reports, President Johnson ordered airstrikes against North Vietnam, which marked a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. It also led to the U.S. Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which granted Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam.
Step-by-step explanation:
The incident in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4, 1964, played a pivotal role in escalating U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In this incident, it was reported that North Vietnamese naval vessels had attacked two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy, in the Gulf of Tonkin. This alleged attack prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to take action.
In response to these reports, President Johnson ordered airstrikes against North Vietnam. This marked a significant escalation in the U.S. role in the conflict. It also led to the U.S. Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave President Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war. This event effectively set the stage for a substantial increase in U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War, a conflict that would continue for years and have far-reaching consequences.