-
Discovery of Fission
German scientists split uranium atoms creating instability in the nucleus that created kinnetic energy. This is important because without this discovery, the Manhattan Project would not have happened and history might not have been the same. -
Approval for the Manhattan Project
Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Manhattan Project is approved by President Roosevelt. This is important because not this arms race to build this bomb has the government head's seal of approval. This is significant because it would later be a president to approve the first use of this bomb. -
Los Alamos Physicists begin project
The Physicists begin determining how much explosive material was necessary to make a bomb. This would be an interesting feat because not only were they creating a weapon of mass destruction, but they were also determining how much destruction was enough. -
Oppenheimer Selected
J. Robert Oppenheimer, a physics professor, is selected to head up the Manhattan Project. This is important because after the creation of the bomb, Oppenheimer realized the monster that he created. -
New Mexico Site Selected
Groves selects Los Alamos, New Mexico as the site for the creation of the atomic bomb. This is significant because it was hidden in the mountains at 7,000 feet in elevation with only one road to access it. This secrecy would ensure the projects success and survival through wartime. -
Roosevelt approves more land purchases
Roosevelt adds a 500 million dollar investment in the Manhattan Project. This is immediately put to build the industrial centers necessary for the creation of the bomb. This is important because it shows just how desperate the US was to end this war by any means necessary. -
k25 Diffusion plant built
In order to decide the element that would be used to create to bomb, Groves builds a third plant at Oak Ridge. This is important because now, the project size had grown to three separate sites and are now working in a area wider than any building ever built. It became the 5th largest town in Tennesee. -
Uranium Gun Bomb Design Complete
The design for the Uranium gun bomb was completed and given the name Little Boy. It was named this because of its smaller size of 10 feet long and less than 10,000 pounds.This is important because this design would eventually be one of the bombs dropped in Japan. -
Fat man design approved
The plutonium version of the bomb was designed, approved and scheduled for its test. This bomb was nicknamed Fat Man because it was extremely round in shape. This is important because this would be the other bomb dropped on Japan. -
Decision Made to Drop Bombs on Populated cities
General Groves chose populated Japanese cities to drop the bombs. This decision was important because in order to get a clean scientific tests, these cities were untouched by bombs up until the dropping of the atomic bombs. -
President Roosevelt Dies
Roosevelt dies and as a result Vice President Truman becomes the new president. This is important because despite the fact that Truman was not privy to the information over the past several years of the creation of the bombs, it would become his decision to use them. -
Germany Surrenders
V-E day where Germany surrenders. This is important because even though Germany surrendered, the Japanese did not. This means that the only enemy left for the testing and use of the bombs that had been created for this purpose. This would lead to the bombing of Japan. -
Truman makes the decision
Truman ulitimately makes the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. This is significant because unknowingly, Truman usheered in the atomic age where the possibility of the use of atomic weapons in war would becom a viable option. -
Detonation of the Atomic Bomb
In an uninhabited area of New Mexico, later to be called Trinity, the first atomic bomb was detonated. This is important because at the time, the creators had no idea the magnitude of the explosion they had created or what it would mean for the future. -
Little Boy Dropped on Hiroshima
Little Boy is Dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. This was the only and initial test of the Gun Model Uranium bomb. They did this because they did not have enough Uranium to make another. This is important because the decision to drop an untested weapon of mass distruction on civilians fell on Truman. He ultimately decided to test it.
