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Battle of Coral Sea
Battle of Coral SeaBattle of Coral Sea - The war itself was not that significant. However the reason it leads up to the atomic bomb is because after the battle, the United States started turning into offensive after being defensive for the beginning of the war. -
Battle of Tarawa
Battle of TarawaBattle of Tarawa- At this time the United States was offensive in their battle tactics. However, this would come with a cost because Japan was also offensive. Thousands had already died in battle from both sides. The Battle of Tarawa was one of the bloodiest battles in the whole war. Out of 5000 people on Japans side, only 17 survived and over 1000 U.S Troops died in battle. -
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Capturing Islands
Bombing Throughout 1944 and early 1945, the United States had been capturing many islands off the shore of Japan. They had captured Iwo Jima, an island 700 miles south of Tokyo. They had turned their attention toward Okinawa. Japan saw this as their last chance. Japan had been ordered to fight to the death for the rest of the war. -
Los Alamos
Los Alamos scientists successfully test a plutonium implosion bomb in the Trinity shot at Alamogordo, New Mexico -
Creating the Bomb
Los Alamos scientists successfully test a plutonium implosion bomb in the Trinity shot at Alamogordo, New Mexico. -
Little boy
Little Man The gun model uranium bomb, called Little Boy, is dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. -
Fat Man
Atomic Bomb Fat Man The implosion model plutonium bomb, called Fat Man, is dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Five days later, Japan surrenders. The first atomic bomb had been dropped on the port city of Hiroshima. This bomb killed 70,000 people instantly and was code named “Little Boy.” One-third of the people killed at first were military. The bomb had destroyed everything within a 2 mile radius and about 4 square miles. It also caused radioactive “black rain” killing more people. The bombing of Nagasaki was even worse -
International Atomic Research
Atomic BombsBernard Baruch presents the American plan for international control of atomic research to the United Nations. The Soviet Union opposes the plan, rendering it useless. -
Atomic Energy Act
president President Truman signs the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 transferring Manhattan Project assets and responsibilities to the civilian Atomic Energy Commission. -
Atomic Energy Commision
In accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, all atomic energy activities are transferred to the newly created Atomic Energy Commission. -
Brookhaven National Lab
Ground is broken at the Brookhaven National Laboratory for the Graphite Research Reactor, the first reactor constructed for the sole purpose of exploring peaceful uses of the atom. -
Hansford Site
Two new production reactors are authorized for the Hanford site. As the Cold War intensifies, the Atomic Energy Commission over the next five years greatly expands the weapons complex. New facilities include three additions to the Oak Ridge gaseous diffusion complex; new gaseous diffusion plants at Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio; three additional plutonium production reactors at Hanford; five heavy-water reactors for producing tritium and plutonium at a site on the -
West Berlin Blockade
Soviet Union begins blockade of West Berlin. -
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Invasion
North Korea invades South Korea. The Korean War begins.
