The Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 was significant as it escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Following alleged attacks on U.S. naval vessels by North Vietnamese forces in the Gulf of Tonkin, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson broad authority to engage military action without an official declaration of war. This incident marked a pivotal turning point in U.S. foreign policy, leading to a substantial increase in troops and military operations in Vietnam. It fueled ongoing debates about executive power, military intervention, and the complexities of the Vietnam conflict, significantly shaping the course of U.S. history.