1942-1953 By emory.taylor Jan 19, 1942 Production of the atomic bomb is approved Aug 13, 1942 Manhattan Engineer District is established Nov 25, 1942 Groves selects Los Alamos, New Mexico, as site for separate scientific laboratory to design an atomic bomb Apr 5, 1944 Congress passes the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act authorizing the Bureau of Mines to build energy research laboratories Apr 12, 1945 Harry S. Truman becomes president May 7, 1945 Germany Surrenders Aug 6, 1945 Uranium bomb, Little boy is dropped on Hiroshima, Japan Aug 9, 1945 Plutonium bomb, fat man, dropped on Nagasaki, Japan Aug 14, 1945 Japan surrenders Aug 1, 1946 President Truman signs the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 transferring Manhattan Project Jun 23, 1948 Soviet Union begins blockade of West Berlin Aug 29, 1949 Soviet Union detonates first atomic device. Jun 25, 1950 North Korea invades South Korea. The Korean War begins. Jan 20, 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated President Dec 8, 1953 President Eisenhower delivers the “Atoms for Peace” speech at the United Nations