On This Day

Buddhist sets himself on fire at US consulate in Hué, South Vietnam

The Buddhist Uprising of 1966 (Vietnamese: Nổi dậy Phật giáo 1966), or more widely known in Vietnam as the Crisis in Central Vietnam (Biến động Miền Trung), was a period of civil and military unrest...

The Buddhist Uprising of 1966 (Vietnamese: Nổi dậy Phật giáo 1966), or more widely known in Vietnam as the Crisis in Central Vietnam (Biến động Miền Trung), was a period of civil and military unrest in South Vietnam, largely focused in the I Corps area in the north of the country in central Vietnam. The area is a center of Vietnamese Buddhism, and at the time, activist Buddhist monks and civilians were at the forefront of opposition to a series of military juntas that had been ruling the nation, as well as prominently questioning the escalation of the Vietnam War.

During the rule of the Catholic Ngô Đình Diệm, the perceived discrimination against the Buddhist population generated the growth of Buddhist institutions as they sought to participate in national politics and gain better...

Events Before

  1. 49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews is the only player to be awarded a knighthood w

    49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews is the only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing for Stoke City

  2. State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul's Cathedral in London; at the time, the world's largest-ever state funera

    State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul's Cathedral in London; at the time, the world's largest-ever state funeral

  3. Righteous Brothers' music single "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" hits #1

    "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is a song by Phil Spector, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, first recorded in 1964 by the American vocal duo the Righteous Brothers.

  4. One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music," starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer,

    One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music," starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premieres (Academy Award for Best Picture - 1966)

  5. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov leaves his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes and becomes the first person to conduct a

    Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov leaves his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes and becomes the first person to conduct a spacewalk

Events After

  1. François Pienaar is born

    François Pienaar is born

  2. AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2

    AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2 TDs, RB Mike Garrett runs for 2 TDs

  3. Actor Lee Marvin (42) divorces Elizabeth Ebeling after 14 years of marriage

    Actor Lee Marvin (42) divorces Elizabeth Ebeling after 14 years of marriage

  4. Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts takes his seat as the first African American popularly elected to the US Se

    Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts takes his seat as the first African American popularly elected to the US Senate

  5. Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (37) divorces second wife, British columnist Patricia Lewis after nearly 5 years of m

    Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (37) divorces second wife, British columnist Patricia Lewis after nearly 5 years of marriage

More from the 1960s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 26, 1966?
The Buddhist Uprising of 1966 (Vietnamese: Nổi dậy Phật giáo 1966), or more widely known in Vietnam as the Crisis in Central Vietnam (Biến động Miền Trung), was a period of civil and military unrest in South Vietnam, largely focused in the I Corps area in the north of the country in central Vietnam. The area is a center of Vietnamese Buddhism, and at the time, activist Buddhist monks and civilians were at the forefront of opposition to a series of military juntas that had been ruling the nation, as well as prominently questioning the escalation of the Vietnam War. During the rule of the Catholic Ngô Đình Diệm, the perceived discrimination against the Buddhist population generated the growth of Buddhist institutions as they sought to participate in national politics and gain better...
Why is Buddhist sets himself on fire at US consulate in Hué, South Vietnam historically important?
The area is a center of Vietnamese Buddhism, and at the time, activist Buddhist monks and civilians were at the forefront of opposition to a series of military juntas that had been ruling the nation, as well as prominently questioning the escalation of the Vietnam War. During the rule of the Catholic Ngô Đình Diệm, the perceived discrimination against the Buddhist population generated the growth of Buddhist institutions as they sought to participate in national politics and gain better...

Explore More