The Gulf of Tonkin Incident refers to two separate confrontations between the United States and North Vietnam in August 1964. The first incident occurred on August 2, when the USS Maddox, a U.S. Navy destroyer, reported being attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. The second incident, on August 4, involved a reported attack on the Maddox and another destroyer, the USS Turner Joy, although the details of this second attack were later disputed. These incidents led to the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution by the U.S. Congress, which granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war. This resolution significantly escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, marking a turning point in American foreign policy.