President Dwight Eisenhower asks Congress on Jan. 24, 1955, for emergency authorization to use force to avert Chinese Communist capture of Formosa, now Taiwan, and the Pescadores Islands. Citing “provocative political and military actions,” Eisenhower requests a “suitable Congressional resolution that would clearly and publicly establish the authority of the president as commander-in-chief.” On Jan. 29, 1955, Congress authorizes military action through a resolution, which the president signs the next morning.