#OnThisDay

August 6, 1945, the United States of America detonated an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was done with the consent of two other allied powers; United Kingdom and Canada. Produced by the Manhattan Project, the uranium bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy” was dropped on the industrial and military port of Hiroshima with truly devastating consequences. The Enola Gay started her bomb run at 08:09am, and the bomb was released at 08:15am local time. It took just 44 seconds to fall, detonating nearly 2000 feet above the city and releasing the energy equivalence of 16 kilotons of TNT. Around 70,000 to 80,000 people were killed by the blast and the firestorm, with another 70,000 injured. This year marks seventy-four years since that event, and there is a renewed call for eliminating weapons such as that dropped from the Enola Gay.

For more on the unexpected history of World War II, listen to our podcast episode on WWII!