Student Article
The Manhattan Project: Building the First Atomic Bomb
Fission (noun): The splitting of an atomic nucleus.
Uranium (noun): A heavy metal used as fuel in nuclear bombs.
Plutonium (noun): A human-made radioactive metal used in atomic bombs.
Surrender (verb): To give up or stop fighting.
Have you ever wondered how the world’s first atomic bomb was created? Let’s dive into the story of the Manhattan Project.
The discovery of nuclear fission
During World War II, scientists learned how to split atoms in a process called nuclear fission, which creates a lot of energy. This made it possible to build a powerful new kind of bomb. When the U.S. found out that Nazi Germany might be working on such a weapon, President Franklin D. Roosevelt started a top-secret project in 1942 to make one first. It was called the Manhattan Project.
The start of the Manhattan Project
Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard warned the president that uranium, a heavy metal, could be used to build a bomb. Scientists also discovered plutonium, another element that could do the same thing. The project quickly grew, involving about 130,000 workers and scientists from around the U.S., including famous physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. He helped lead a secret lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where they designed and tested the bomb.
Key locations in the project
Other important sites included Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where uranium was prepared, and Hanford, Washington, where plutonium was made.
The first bomb test and its impact
On July 16, 1945, the first bomb was tested in the desert of New Mexico. The blast created a bright flash and a mushroom-shaped cloud that rose 7.5 miles (about 39,600 feet) into the sky. Oppenheimer remembered a line from a Hindu book: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Less than a month later, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. The first hit Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing around 70,000 people instantly. Three days later, another bomb hit Nagasaki, killing up to 80,000 people. Japan surrendered on August 15, ending World War II.
The aftermath and ongoing debates
The Manhattan Project started the Atomic Age and led to the Cold War — a time when the U.S. and the Soviet Union built more nuclear weapons. Today, people still debate whether using the bombs was right and worry about the danger nuclear weapons pose.
© Danny Bird / www.historyextra.com
Fission (noun): The splitting of an atomic nucleus.
Uranium (noun): A heavy metal used as fuel in nuclear bombs.
Plutonium (noun): A human-made radioactive metal used in atomic bombs.
Surrender (verb): To give up or stop fighting.