Japan marks 76th anniversary of World’s First Atomic Bombing

August 7, 2021

Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, attended a memorial to commemorate the 76th anniversary of world’s first atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Key Points

Survivors and relatives marked the anniversary of blast with a minute of silence.
Those who survived the bombing still continue to require welfare and medical care.

Atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

United States dropped two nuclear weapons over Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively on August 6 and August 9, 1945. Both the bombings killed some 129,000 to 226,000 people. Most of the victims were civilians. These bombings remain the only use of nuclear weapons in any armed conflict.

History

In the World War II, the Allies prepared for costly invasion of Japanese mainland. Manhattan Project of Allies had produced two types of atomic bombs:

Fat Man– Plutonium implosion-type nuclear weapon
Little Boy– Enriched uranium gun-type fission weapon.

How operation was carried?

509th Composite Group of United States Army Air Forces was trained. They were equipped with specialized Silverplate version of Boeing B-29 Superfortress. They were deployed to Tinian in Mariana Islands. Allies called for unconditional surrender of Japanese armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration in July 1945. But Japan ignored the ultimatum. So, United States dropped world’s first nuclear bomb called “Little Boy” against southwestern city of Hiroshima. It immediately killed 80,000 civilians. On August 9, US dropped second bomb called “Fat Man” on Nagasaki that killed another 74,000 civilians.