-
Einstein signs Einstein-Szilard letter
Einstein sends a letter to President Roosevelt concerning research of uranium to create an atomic bomb before Nazi Germany -
First Meeting of Uranium Commitee
First meeting of the Uranium Committee was held in Washington DC. Lead by Lyman J Briggs, they focused on where the US stood on the uranium research scale, uranium isotope separation, and nuclear chain reactions. -
Discovery of plutonium
Glenn T. Seaborg's group discovers plutonium after bombarding uranium at UC Berkeley -
MAUD Report
The MAUD Committee was formed in spring 1940 by the Britsh to study the development of nulcear weapons and discovered a certain mass of U25 that could fission quickly, They have been communicating with the US since fall of 1940, but the July 1941 report was significant, explaining how an atom bomb could be created in time for the war. -
Project goes into acceleration
Bush organizes meeting under Office of Scientific Research and Developement -
Manhattan Engineering District
The Manhattan Engineering District is established in New York City, headed by chief of United States Army Corps of Engineers -
Trinity Test
First nuclear explosion tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It exploded on top of a steel tower, monitored by scientists in bunkers 10,000 yards away from the site. It created a 40,000 foot mushroom cloud with an explosive power equal to 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of TNT. -
Hiroshima Bombing
Enola Gay drops gun-type uranium atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing 80,000 people immediately and thousands more dying later due to radiation exposure. The bomber weighed 9,000 pounds and exploded 2,000 feet over Hiroshima with an impact of 12-15,000 tons of TNT, destroying 5 miles of the city -
Nagasaki Bombing
Bockscar drops implosion type plutonium atomic bomb on Nagasaki becauase of poor weather in Kokura, klling 40,000 people. It weighed 10,000 pounds, but the geography of Nagasaki limited the impact to 2.6 square miles of destruction.
