3. Gulf of Tonkin Incident (United States, 1964)
In August 1964, the U.S. government reported unprovoked attacks by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, leading to escalated military involvement in Vietnam. Subsequent declassified documents and analyses revealed that these incidents were either misrepresented or fabricated to gain congressional support. This misinformation resulted in years of conflict and tens of thousands of deaths. (usni.org)
