Hiroshima Atomic Bombing

On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 AM local time, the United States dropped the atomic bomb codenamed "Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing an estimated 70,000 people and destroying approximately 70% of the city. The B-29 bomber Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets, released the uranium-based bomb that detonated 1,900 feet above the city with a force equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. By the end of 1945, the death toll reached 140,000 as victims succumbed to burns, injuries, and radiation sickness. This was the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare, ushering in the atomic age. Three days later, a second bomb destroyed Nagasaki. Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945, ending World War II. The bombings remain controversial, with debates continuing about military necessity versus humanitarian catastrophe and their role in shaping Cold War nuclear proliferation.