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Nuclear events
This timeline would feature events that happen to deal with anything nuclear. These events would show significance and how and why the events were or are important. -
Discovery of the split of the Atoms
In 1932, New Zealand physicist Ernest Rutherford discovered that when atoms split by protons from a proton accelerator, they create massive amounts of energy. This was important for future scientists to create nuclear power and generators. -
First Nuclear Reactor
December 2nd 1942, U.S.A. Enrico Fermi, an Italian scientist, started the construction the world’s first Nuclear Reactor. The Reactor named ‘Chicago Pile-1’ was built in Mettalurgical laboratory and was sent and used in Chicago, Illinois as a power source. This event was important because the Nuclear Reactor inspired other people to construct their nuclear reactors evolve into the modern reactors we know today. -
The first Nuclear weapon
July 16th 1945, U.S.A. In Jornada de Merton, New Mexico The world’s first Nuclear Bomb known as the ‘Trinity Bomb’ exploded. This was one of the most important things to happen in military history as it led America to make much deadlier Nuclear Weapons and make the US become the world’s strongest and the most feared nation of the world. -
The ‘Little boy’
August 6th, 1945. America drops the world’s first Atomic/Nuclear Bomb known as ‘Little Boy’ on another country. The bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The event was important because this would influence the American military to make more destructive nuclear weapons in the future. -
The ‘Fat man’
August 9th, 1945. America drops another atomic bomb on Japan again but on a different city named Nagasaki. This was a very important event because of several reasons. This bomb kept the USSR away from Japan and fear the US. It forced Japan to surrender after World War 2 and it also made Nations all over the world to make their own Nuclear Weapons such as the USSR, Britain, China and many other nations. -
Atomic cannon
- The American Military starts to innovate with their Nuclear Power. In the ‘Nevada test site’ in 1953 the US tested the ‘M65 Atomic Cannon’ which fired and exploded a Nuclear shell. I think this event was important as this weapon scared the USSR from attacking any nation that has US relations. It also inspired other weapons to would use nuclear technology.
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Nuclear ships
January 1st, 1951, U.S.A. America launched the world’s first ship to run on nuclear power known as USS Nautilus (SSN-571). She was launched in the Thames River (In Connecticut). This was important to naval history as it influenced ship builders to build more and advanced ships with nuclear power. Although America’s adversary, the USSR, would steal this technology to their advantage. -
Three Mile Island Accident
March 28th 1979. In Pennsylvania, USA. On the Three mile Island Nuclear Reactor, Power plant had a leak in the coolant tower and the radiation started to spread. The accident was America’s biggest Nuclear incident inside the US. This event was important because it led the US government to take more caution with the nuclear reactors and to better improve and renew their nuclear reactors. -
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
On April 26th, 1986, during the Soviet Unions reign, the USSR experienced the most catastrophic nuclear disaster yet, at least in the USSR. In the city of Chernobyl, the Nuclear Reactor had a meltdown, the entire city was evacuated and is still abandoned today. Why I think it’s important is because this event led the USSR to be very sceptical and very cautious of Nuclear Reactors and it would be one of the reasons why the Soviet Union fell. -
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
March 11th, 2011, Japan. In the Fukushima Prefecture, on the east coast of Japan, a tsunami occurred and crashed into the Nuclear Reactor of Fukushima leaving the reactor to be unstable and explode. Why I think this is an important event is because after this catastrophy, Japan would refine their nuclear reactors more often and be more cautious of their nuclear reactors. -
How a (Modern) Nuclear Reactor Works
Thin Uranium rods are placed inside the Nuclear Core that contains water. The uranium rods create intense heat which would vaporise the water into steam. The steam is pushed through a valve leading to a turbine. The steam pushes the turbine and creates power and stores it in a generator for later use. The steam is then condensated into water in the ‘condenser’. The water is reused, for the cycle is repeated. -
Nuclear Power today
Nuclear materials and energy are now used to make power for the public to use and not so much on Nuclear Weapons. Although Countries like the U.S and Russia still store Nuclear Weapons from the ‘Cold War’ (1947-1991), and countries like North Korea are still in the making of Nuclear Missiles. Nuclear Power is also used to power ships. -
In the future
This is what I think would happen to Nuclear Power. I think that more Nuclear Reactors would be built and used as a power source. It’s clean, it doesn’t make a lot of noise and it doesn’t create any sort of pollution. Although they can produce radiation after meltdowns it’s not caused by the Reactor itself, it’s always by an unexpecting accident or the people themselves working in the Reactor. -
Bibliography
Books:
Nuclear Power - Ewan Mcleish A Prehistory of Nuclear Power - John Tabak Websites:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-power-reactors/nuclear-power-reactors.aspx https://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-power/nuclear-power-accidents/history-nuclear-accidents#.Wi5wm6bZWhA
