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The U.S government used universities for lab experiments to conduct nuclear reactions in order to build the nuclear bombs "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" that were later used to bomb cities of Japan.
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Early in the morning the Japanese Kamikaze pilots bombed Pearl Harbor by flying their planes into the Naval Base. The attack began just before 8:00 AM and involved over 350 Japanese aircraft. More than 2,400 Americans were killed, and over 1,000 were wounded. -
In response to Pearl Harbor, the U.S declared war on Japan. This officially made the U.S join World War 2 -
President Harry Truman issued the Potsdam Declaration demanding the unconditional surrender of the Japanese government, warning of “prompt and utter destruction.” Japan ignored the demand -
Hiroshima was targeted because of its size and layout was suitable to test destruction. The “Little Boy” bomb was dropped on August 6,1945 at 8:15 am. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly. -
By the end of the year 1945 the two atomic bombs had killed approximately 140, 000 people in Hiroshima, 74,000 people in Nagasaki, and civilians who survived later passed away due to an increase in cancer and leukemia cases as a result of nuclear radiation side effects.
Victims in the blast zone were immediately vaporized along with buildings. Due to the intensity of the blast, shadows of the victims were left behind imprinted on steps, pavements, and walls. -
While some leaders understood that surrender was inevitable after Hiroshima, others still clung to the hope of negotiating more favorable terms or continuing resistance. The country was in a state of political and moral uncertainty -
Kyoto was originally the next ideal target because of its population of about 1,000,000 people but because it was a cultural and cherished city they instead chose Nagasaki (another important import) as a replacement. The “Fat Man” atomic bomb was dropped on August 9,1945 at 11:02 am. Around 40,000 were instantly killed -
The Emperor recorded a message accepting the Allies’ terms and urging peace. -
Known as Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, Japan publicly announced its surrender on August 15, 1945, effectively ending World War II. Emperor Hirohito addressed the Japanese people in a historic radio broadcast, explaining that Japan must “endure the unendurable” and accept the Allied terms. -
Pregnant women who were exposed to the nuclear radiation experienced higher rates of miscarriages along with their children developing intellectual disabilities and deformities.
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"Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki represents one of the greatest atrocities of WWII"
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"Japan will never allow society to forget about Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the infamous atomic bomb"