Vientiane, August 23, 1975
August 23 is Uprising Day in Laos.
On August 23, 1975 20,000 people took to the streets in the Laotian capital of Vientiane under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and the Lao People’s Liberation Army to demand an end to the old regime and the monarchy. They took control of the capital which led to a rapid series of victories across the country culminating in the proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on December 2, 1975 with the abdication of King Savang Vatthana.
This was 30 years to the day after an uprising in the city on August 23, 1945 when 500 factory workers had begun demonstrations calling for independence from France that brought thousands out in support.
The events of 1975 came after years of civil war and devastating, illegal bombardment of the country by the United States.
From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missions—equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years – making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. - Legacies of War