World War II: Press Reports on Atomic Weapons in Japan

Description

Atomic Age Dawn: A Chronology of the Manhattan Project

Detailed Timeline

• 1939: Albert Einstein and other prominent scientists send a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, alerting him to the potential military uses of nuclear energy, particularly the possibility of Nazi Germany developing such technology. This communication prompts the formation of the Uranium Committee.
• Undated (Following 1939): The Uranium Committee evolves into the Manhattan Project, a top-secret research and development undertaking aimed at producing atomic weapons.
• July 1945: The “Trinity” test, the first successful detonation of an atomic bomb, is conducted in New Mexico.
• August 6, 1945: The United States drops an atomic bomb, codenamed “Little Boy,” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
• August 9, 1945: The United States drops a second atomic bomb, codenamed “Fat Man,” on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
• August 15, 1945: Emperor Hirohito publicly announces Japan’s surrender, effectively ending World War II.
• September 2, 1945: Japan’s formal surrender is officially signed.
• August 6, 1945 – December 31, 1945: American newspapers, including The Washington Star (formerly The Evening Star and Sunday Star) and numerous regional papers, extensively cover the atomic bombings, global reactions, and the efforts to conclude the war and the downfall of Japan’s World War II government.

Cast of Characters

• Albert Einstein: A leading scientist who, in 1939, along with other scientists, warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt about the potential military applications of nuclear energy, leading to the establishment of the Uranium Committee.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: President of the United States who received a letter from Albert Einstein and other scientists in 1939 regarding the military potential of nuclear energy, subsequently leading to the formation of the Uranium Committee.
• Emperor Hirohito: The Emperor of Japan who announced Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, bringing an end to World War II