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German Bombs
A group of American scientists became concerned with nuclear weapon research being conducted in Nazi Germany -
U.S. Funding
The U.S. began funding its own atomic weapons development program which came under the responsibility of the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the War Department -
Pearl Harbor
Japan attacks US Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in hopes of destroying the US Pacific Fleet -
America Joins
President Harry S Truman declares war on Japan, calling for unconditional surrender and enters World War II -
Authorized Manhattan Project
President Franklin D Roosevelt had authorized the formation of the Manhattan Project to bring together scientists and military officials to work on nuclear research -
Consideration
The atomic bomb first came into consideration, but President Harry S Truman had wanted to invade Japan. He knew the bomb was very powerful and he knew that if he invaded Japan it would be very costly because they had been ordered to fight to the death -
Manhattan Project
The first successful test of an atomic device, which was a plutonium bomb. It took place at the Trinity test sight in Alamogordo, New Mexico -
Potsdam Conference
Joseph Stalin, Harry S. Truman, and Winston Churchill issued a declaration demanding unconditional surrender from Japan, making sure to hide the fact that they had privately agreed to let Japan retain its emperor -
Rejected
Japanese Emperor Hirohito rejected the Potsdam Declaration and decided on continuing to fight during World War II -
Authorization
After Japan had flatly rejected the Potsdam Declaration Truman had authorized the use of the atomic bomb on any date after August 3, 1945 -
The First Bombing
A B-29 bomber by the name of Enola Gay dropped Little Boy above the city Hiroshima by parachute at 8:15 a.m and exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima in a blast equivalent to 12-15,000 tons of TNT -
Little Boy Effects
When Little Boy exploded above the city of Hiroshima it immediatley destroyed 5 square miles and wiped out 90% of the city, immediatley killing 80,000 -
The Second Bombing
A B-29 bomber by the name of Bockscar dropped Fat Man at 11:02 a.m. above the city of Nagasaki, more powerful than the one used for Hiroshima Fat Man exploded with a force of twenty-two kilotons -
Fat Man Effects
When Fat Man exploded above Nagasaki the mountains provided protection limiting the destruction to 2.6 square miles and immediatley killed 40,000, ground temperatures reached 4,000°C as radioactive rain poured down on the city -
Medical Response
In Hiroshima an estimated 90% of nurses and doctors were killed or injured. 42 out of 45 hospitals were rendered non-functional. Some people who entered the city after the bombing to help medically died from radiation as well -
Japan's Surrender
At noon Emperor Hirohito finally declared his country's surrender via radio broadcast. News spread quickly and celebrations broke out across the U.S. and other allied countries -
Formal Surrender
A formal surrender agreement was signed aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri which was anchored in Tokyo Bay ending World War II -
Death Toll
By the end of 1945 Little Boy had reached an estimated 140,000 deaths and Fat Man had reached an estimated 74,000 deaths -
Gallup Poll
A poll was conducted immediately after the bombing and found 85% of Americans agreed with Truman's decision. But a recent poll in 2015 found that the Americans who believe using the atomic bomb was justified had fallen to 56% -
Long Term
Leukaemia increased a noticeable amount in survivors in the next 5 to 6 years. About a decade later survivors began suffering from more severe diseases like thyroid, breast, lung, and other cancers -
Japanese Opinion
14% of Japanese said the bombing was justified while another 79% of Japanese said it wasn't
