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Fat Man Timeline

By Bennyj333

  • Einstein's Letter

    Einstein's Letter
    • Einstein writes a letter to President Roosevelt on nuclear reaction with uranium
    • Intent of the letter, to bring awareness to the American government of potential bombs developed from uranium
    • Bomb could cause great damage over large area
    • Recommended to appoint someone to oversee funding and monitor research and development

  • Researching Atomic Energy

    Researching Atomic Energy
    • Correspondence between Einstein and President Roosevelt over uranium
    • Informed the physicist that he had set up a committee consisting of civilian and military representatives to study uranium
    • Roosevelt was afraid that Germany would gain unilateral possession of powerful weapons

  • Advisory Committee on Uranium Research

    Advisory Committee on Uranium Research
    • Lyman J. Briggs was appointed director of the National Bureau of Standards, head of the Advisory Committee on Uranium
    • Met for the first time on October 21 1939
    • Included both civilian and military representation
    • Purpose to look at current state of research with Uranium and recommend an appropriate role for the government

  • Bomb Proposal

    Bomb Proposal
    • The Presidential science advisor Vannevar Bush meets with the President and V.P. to discuss development of a bomb
    • He received the go-ahead to research cost and duration of atomic bomb project, but was not to start construction phase without explicit permission from the President
    • After the Pearl Harbor attack, the President sent a message to Bush on Jan. 19, 1942 giving him the ok to start building the bomb

  • Declaration of War on Japan

    Declaration of War on Japan
    • A surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7th, 1941
    • Famous "Day in Infamy" speech was given by President Roosevelt
    • After the speech, Congress immediately declared war against Japan

  • Creation of "Fat Man" Model

    Creation of "Fat Man" Model
    • The Army Air Force and Parsons (Manhattan Project) developed two bomb models by March 1944
    • They used B-29s to test the bombs
    • "Thin Man," named for President Roosevelt, utilized the uranium gun design
    • "Fat Man," named after Winston Churchill, was a plutonium implosion prototype.

  • Bomb Crew Training Begins

    Bomb Crew Training Begins
    • Colonel Paul Tibbets began training the selected crew that would carry the nuclear payloads
    • Only Tibbets new the details of the top secret mission
    • Crew practiced by dropping 5,500 lb orange dummy bombs nicknamed "pumpkins"

  • How to make use of the Bomb(s)

    How to make use of the Bomb(s)
    • Scientists that helped create the bomb wanted a say in how it was used
    • The Scientific Panel of the Interim Committee was supposed to be the voice of the scientists with the policyholders
    • The scientists that created the bomb feared an arms race and wanted a "second opinion"
    • The Interim Committee concurred the bomb would be used as soon as possible against a war plant surrounded by additional buildings.
    • The U.S. wanted to shock Japan into surrendering so no formal warning was given

  • Enter the Nuclear Age

    Enter the Nuclear Age
    • The first nuclear test named the "Trinity" test occurred at precisely 5:30 a.m. at "Jornada del Muerto," or "Journey of Death," 210 miles south of Los Alamos
    • The Manhattan Project staff from Los Alamos detonated a plutonium based bomb that morning
    • The nuclear age began with the "Trinity" test

  • The Order to Drop the Atomic Bombs

    The Order to Drop the Atomic Bombs
    • The U.S. was in process of receiving the Soviet Union's help with the war
    • The use of an atomic bomb made it possible that Soviet Union's help was not needed
    • On July 24, 1945 President Truman spoke privately with Stalin on a potential new powerful weapon, Stalin showed no interest
    • President Truman gave the order to use atomic bombs against Japan the next day July 25, 1945

  • "Little Boy" Detonation

    "Little Boy" Detonation
    • At approximately 8:15 a.m. Hiroshima time the Enola Gay released "Little Boy,"
    • "Little Boy" was a 9,700-pound uranium gun-type bomb, that was released over the city of Hiroshima
    • Due to lingering effects of fallout and other after effects it was estimated that 100,000 lives were lost
    • Over 5 years time it is believed that number averages around 200,000

  • "Fat Man" Detonation

    "Fat Man" Detonation
    • The bomb was originally set to detonate over Kokura, but due to weather the target was changed
    • Japanese city of Nagasaki was the secondary target
    • The "Fat Man" detonation was 40% more powerful than that of the "Thin Man" dropped on Hiroshima
    • It was estimated that 40,000 people died instantly and 60,000 more sustained injuries upon detonation

  • Japan Surrenders

    Japan Surrenders
    • The Emperor announces Japan's surrender after the bombings
    • It was the first time many of Japan's citizens had heard the Emperor's voice
    • It took a couple weeks to work out the details and the formal signing of the surrender was on Sept. 2, 1945