Truman Orders H-Bomb Development
Unverified
Date
January 31, 1950
Type
National
Author
smithsheep
Location
Washington,
District of Columbia,
United States
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Categories
Political & Governance
Military & Conflict
Science & Technology
Event Details
President Harry S. Truman publicly announced his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb on January 31, 1950. This weapon was theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
Cold War: The decision was a direct response to the Soviet Union's first successful atomic bomb test in 1949, escalating the nuclear arms race.