1947 – Born on the 14th of February in Quoc Tuan, Thai Binh, Vietnam.
1965 – He joined the VPAF, or Vietnam People’s Air Force.
1972 – He is claimed to have shot down a United States B-52 bomber over Hanoi while flying a MiG-21 (the USAF does not acknowledge the claim), becoming the first and only pilot ever to do so.
1975 – Commissioned as a combat officer, fighting in the Vietnam War against US fighter jets from then onwards.
1979 – He was selected as part of the sixth international crew for the Intercosmos programme on April.
1980 – Along with Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko, was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on the 23rd of July, on board Soyuz 37.
– He was in space for 7 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes. He completed 142 orbits, and was recovered on July.
2007 – He is now a Lieutenant General, Head of the General Department of Defence Industry of the Ministry of Defence, and a member of the National Assembly.