Reference Entry
ATOMIC BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA
On the morning of August 6th, 1945, a B-29 bomber of the United States Army Air Forces dropped the first atomic bomb used in war over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. In seconds, a blast and firestorm devastated much of the urban area, killing tens of thousands of people outright and leaving many more injured or exposed to radiation.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima
On the morning of August 6th, 1945, a B-29 bomber of the United States Army Air Forces dropped the first atomic bomb used in war over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. In seconds, a blast and firestorm devastated much of the urban area, killing tens of thousands of people outright and leaving many more injured or exposed to radiation. American planners had chosen the target to demonstrate the power of the new weapon and to hit a city with military facilities and industrial connections, hoping to shock Japan’s leadership into surrender and avoid the projected casualties of an invasion. The attack also served as the first visible result of the secret Manhattan Project, which had brought together scientists, engineers, soldiers, and workers across the United States. News of the bombing reverberated through Allied capitals and the Japanese government alike, with reactions ranging from relief at a possible end to the war to deep unease about what such weapons meant for the future. The date stands as a turning point in both military technology and the moral questions surrounding its use.
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