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Letter from Einstien to FDR
Albert Einstein sent a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, telling him that based on recent reasearch, it is likely that large amounts of energy can be produced from a chain reaction, and that "extremely powerful bombs" could be produced. He also mentioned that the German government was researching this, and encouraged the American government to research also. Fact URL: http://www.osti.gov/manhattan-project-history/Events/1939-1942/einstein_letter.htm -
Dunning finds Uranium-235 to be more useful in fission than Uranium-238
John Dunning and his fellow scientists discover Uranium-235 to have a higher rate of fission than Uranium-238 Fact URL: http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/chronology.shtml
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FDR officially authorizes atomic bomb project
President Roosevelt officially endorses the production of an atomic bomb.
Image URL: http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/
Fact URL: http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/chronology.shtml -
Created first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction
This was the first instance of controlled nuclear power, occuring under Stagg Field at the University of Chicago. Enrico Fermi and his colleagues managed to control nuclear energy for the first time in history, achieving nuclear fission. Image URL: http://www.uchicago.edu/features/how_the_first_chain_reaction_changed_science/
Fact URL: http://physics.uchicago.edu/about/history/manhattan.html -
Site B at Hanford begins operation
The plant that produced the plutonium for Fat Boy was produced at Site B in Hanford, Washington Fact URL: http://www.nwcouncil.org/history/Hanford
Imcage URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanford_Site -
Los Alamos receives plutonium
Los Alamos, the bomb laboratory in New Mexico, recieves plutonium, allowing for the Trinity test later on July 16th 1945. Fact URL: http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/chronology.shtml
Image URL: http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/p4s25.shtml -
First successful test of an atomic bomb
This was the first successful test of an atomic bomb, known as the gadget, taking place at the Trinity site, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. Image URL: http://www.delange.org/Trinity_Atomic_Bomb_Site/Trinity_Atomic_Bomb_Site.htm ; http://www.ushistory.org/us/51f.asp
Fact URL: http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/atomic-bomb -
Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima
An atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city Hiroshima at the order of President Harry Truman. 80,000 people instantly died. Image URL: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/08/hiroshima_64_years_ago.html
Fact URL: http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/atomic-bomb -
Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki
Again at the order of President Harry Truman, another atomic bomb was dropped on another Japanese city, Nagasaki. Another 40,000 people died immediately. The bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only two atomic bombings in history. Approximately 100,000 more people died in the following months as a result of radiation poisoning from the two bombs. Image URL: http://www.amusingplanet.com/2010/08/65th-anniversary-of-hiroshima-atomic.html
Fact URL: http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/hist -
Smyth Report published
The Smyth Report, containing information on the construction of atomic bombs was published, becoming a best-seller. Fact URL: http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/chronology.shtml
Image URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyth_Report -
1st Test bomb dropped on Bikini Atoll
To test the effect of atomic bombs, Operation Crossroads was initiated. This was the fourth atomic explosion in history. -
2nd test bomb dropped on Bikini Atoll
The fifth atomic explosion of history, also part of Operation Crossroads. The test was used to study the effect of nuclear bombs on the surrounding environment. Fact URL: http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Crossrd.html
Image URL: http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Crossrd.html
