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First Nuclear Fission
Enrico Fermi, an Italian scientist, creates the first nuclear fission. In a lab experiment, he bombarded various elements with alpha particles and neutrons in order to try to create radioactive materials. After looking at the results of the lab, Fermi concluded that he had figured out how to acutally split an atom. He and other scientists had all come to the same conclusion after repeating this lab, including scientists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, that fissioned uranium could be deadly. -
Niels Bohr annouces the discovery of fission
At the annual Theoretical Physics conference at George Washington University, Bohr and Fermi announce the discovery of fission. This was a huge discovery for the scientific community and many start their own independent research of the topic. Many start to worry of the negative affects this discovery could have, especially with the fission of uranium and how powerful it could be. -
Albert Einstein's Letter to President Roosevelt
Einstein writes to FDR encouraging the start of research into atomic bombs. He along with other influential scientists at the time, including Italian scientist Enrico Fermi, believed that the uncontrolled fission reaction was very dangerous and needed to be further understood. This letter became the catalyst into starting the project. -
World War II Begins
Around this time period, many were worried about Hitler and his capability to create an atomic bomb based on a recent German scientific discovery to split uranium (fission). The start of the war was part of the reason why Roosevelt agreed to start atomic bomb research as it was necessary to get ahead of Hitler, especially now that there was the threat of a war. -
The National Defense Research Committee
Approved by President Roosevelt after he was convinced this committee was necessary by Vannevar Bush, who became in charge of the committee. This Committee also reorganized the Uranium Committee and made it so that there was no military involvment which made it easier for them to access money for nuclear research. -
President Roosevelt authorizes the start of an atomic research program
FDR finally takes Einstein's advice and agrees that it is necessary to initiate an atomic research program. The main goal of the project was to create some sort of atomic bomb/weapon without Hitler or any other countries finding out of their plans. The project was to be kept top secret, the ultimate goal only known by very few out of the thousands working on it. The code name of the program became the Manhattan Project. -
Oak Ridge, Tennessee laboratory and produciton site has begun to be built
Also known as the Clinton Engineer Works, was established and would later become the headquarters for the Manhattan Engineers District. Oak Ridge became a town dedicated soley to worker and their families while working on nulcear production. There ended up being 3 produciton facility sites that were created a short distance from the town. There was the Y-12 area, the electromagnetic plant; the X-10 area, experimental plutonium pile; and the K-25 area, the gaseous diffusion plant. -
First controlled nuclear fission chain reaction
This reaction is created by Enrico Fermi along with a whold team of scientists at the University of Chicago. His goal had been to find a way to create a nuclear fission reaction and find some way to slow it down and contain it enough so that it would not create an atomic explosive but would let out a steady flow of energy. Their ideas were successful as the first controlled reaction was created on a squash court in Chicago. After this milestone, more funding went into nuclear research. -
Establishment of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
This was the main base for the Manhattan Project where some of the first atomic bombs were created, the creation of these bombs nicknamed Project Y. Located in Los Alamos, New Mexico, this laboratory was meant to be in an isolated area where the secrecy of the project could be maintained. Before Los Alamos, many of the scientists believed that the project was disorganized. So, scientist Robert Oppenheimer made it a goal to find a central laboratory to research bomb development. -
The 'Trinity Test' at Alamogordo, New Mexico
The first atomic bomb was tested in a New Mexico desert. The bomb was raised up a 100 foot tower and held at the top which was known as Point Zero, Ground Zero being the bottom of the tower. When the bomb was released it created an explosion far excedeing what was expected. The blast was heard, seen, and felt for miles from the site. Overall, this final blast comcluded the Manhattan Project as successful, an atomic bomb had been the original goal and became the result
