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Neuclear fission was discovered in Germany by physicist otto hann and his assistant Fritz Strassmann
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Robert Oppenhiemer becomes director of the manhattan project, a develpoement and research project for neuclear weapons in america.
(USHistory.com on the manhattan project) http://www.ushistory.org/us/51f.asp -
Germany agrees to unconditional surrender, ending WWII in Europe.
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The United States detonates the worlds first atomic bomb at the Trinity test site near Los Alamos New Mexico.
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The first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, at approximately 8:15 a.m. Nicknamed Little Boy, the bomb is released from the Enola Gay, piloted by Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets. It explodes 2,000 feet above ground, killing 80,000 people instantly. One of the main arguments for use of the bomb by U.S. officials is that it would force Japan to surrender unconditionally. (history.com on hiroshima)
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki -
An atomic bomb is dropped over Nagasaki, piloted by Maj. Charles Sweeney. It explodes 1,540 feet above the ground. The original target for the bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, is Kokura, Japan. Due to cloud cover, the bomb is instead detonated over Nagasaki, the alternate location. About 75,000 people are killed immediately.
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Three days after the Hiroshima bombing, President Truman speaks to the nation in a radio address: The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. By this time, the United States had already dropped its second bomb on Nagasaki.
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Japan surrenders, ending World War II.
